A Year to Remember
by Sugarbaby2
Summary: No one could have predicted what would happen in James' fifth year at Hogwarts... Some LilySnape, LilyJames and RemusBellatrix
1. Return to Hogwarts

James Potter and all other characters mentioned in this book (with the exception of several professors and students) are copyright J.K. Rowling. 

**Return to Hogwarts**

"James!  In here!" a voice shouted over the crowd that was milling around Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

James Potter turned around and stood on tiptoes, craning his neck to try and find where the voice had come from.  With a grin, he noticed his friend, Remus Lupin, waving at him from the window of a carriage of the Hogwarts Express.  James immediately began wading through the sea of students until he reached the door of the carriage, and then stepped inside.

James was fifteen years old, and in his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  He was a tall, thin boy with thick black hair and bright hazel eyes.  Many of the young witches in his year level thought he was truly dashing, but there was only one girl that James liked – and her name was Lily Evans.  Everything about Lily was wonderful.  Her long orange-brown hair, her stunning green 'cat-eyes' as Sirius called them, her kind-hearted nature but most of all, her Quidditch skills.

Lily wasn't on the Gryffindor Quidditch team like James was, but that was because no one knew of her ability.  James only knew because he had been getting a drink of water late one night, when he looked out his dormitory window and saw her looping through the goalposts on the pitch.

He had quietly asked her why she didn't play and she had replied with a sniff, "I've got far more important things to do than play Quidditch.  There's studying to do and, and…" she had run off at that moment, so James didn't know what her secret was.

He was jolted back to reality when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.  He whizzed around and…

"Sirius!" he shouted, grinning broadly at his best friend in the whole world.

Sirius was a tall, handsome young wizard, with shoulder-length black hair, and deep grey eyes.  All the girls at school fell head over heels when Sirius walked past, but he wasn't interested.  Sirius was more interested in finding secret passages leading out of the school or trying to becoming an Animagus illegally.  Sirius was very intelligent.  In fact, he was so intelligent that he barely had to study anything, but sometimes he could be careless, and this got him into trouble on many occasions.

"How was your summer?" asked Sirius, as he sat down next to Remus.  James joined them.

"Actually, it was pretty good.  I played Quidditch most of the time.  And of course, my parents took me to the World Cup.  It was _fantastic_!" said James.

"Heck, your summer sounds far better than mine," Sirius said.  "Locked up in that wretched house, with my dear mother yelling at me for every possible reason," he rolled his eyes.

"But you at least got to the Cup, didn't you?" asked James.

"Not with my mother," Sirius said grimly, and James wished he hadn't asked.

"Cheer up," began Remus, grinning.  "At least we know that as soon as we get back, you'll be able to become Animagi!  The potion's almost done!  One more day should do it," he said excitedly.

James and Sirius shivered with excitement.  Ever since their first year, they had been trying to become Animagi, and within mere hours, James and Sirius knew that they would be able to transform freely into animals.  James would transform into a majestic stag, Sirius a great black dog.  Suddenly a whistle sounded from somewhere near the front of the train.

"Looks like we're moving at last!" said Sirius happily.  He couldn't wait to be back at Hogwarts, away from his parents, who were obsessed with pure-bloods.  Away from the house he dreaded so much.  And away from all those rules…

"Hogwarts, here we come!" grinned Remus.

Lily Evans stared gloomily out of the window.  She was so glad to be coming back to Hogwarts, but she knew that James wouldn't rest until he had made her join the Quidditch team.

_What did he know?_ she thought angrily.  James Potter, that wretched show-off who was always carrying a Snitch around in his pocket, ready to impress anyone who was willing to watch him.  But James was not just a show-off; he was also a horrible person.  Lily shuddered as she thought of how nasty he had been to Severus Snape last year.  She knew that Severus and James absolutely loathed each other, and she was certain it was because of her.  Both wanted Lily to themselves.

_Okay, so Severus is a little odd_, thought Lily.  _But at least he doesn't boast about Quidditch every minute of the day!_

If truth be told, Lily rather fancied Severus, but she would never ever tell anyone this, not even her best friend, Star.  Star would just laugh at her and say that there were plenty of other boys that were far better looking than greasy-haired, hook-nosed Severus.  Lily knew that this was true, but Severus was always so kind to her.  He understood her like James didn't.

"What are you thinking of?" said a gentle voice behind Lily, making her jump.

"Oh, Star.  You gave me a fright!" laughed Lily, thinking how lucky Star was.  Last year, Star had started to become very friendly with the most popular boy in their year level – Sirius Black.  They both adored each other.  _Why_ was Lily the one stuck with that stupid James Potter, constantly trying to impress her?

"Well?  What were you thinking?" Star asked, sitting down next to Lily.

"Oh, nothing," smiled Lily, looking at her best friend.  Lily was intelligent, but Star was the cleverest witch she knew.  _But_, thought Lily, _Star, unlike James, doesn't boast about how clever she is!_

Star raised her eyebrows at Lily and wondered what she had been daydreaming about.  Suddenly, the carriage door burst open, and for a minute, Lily was afraid that James would be standing there.  She breathed a sigh of relief when she realised it was Severus.  Star, however, gave a snort of disgust.

"Snivellus, what are _you_ doing here?" Star asked, staring at Snape with a look of pure hatred.

"Oh, I, er, wondered if I could sit with you.  The rest of the carriages seem to be full," he stammered.

"Hmph!  Go and sit with your Slytherin friends," growled Star.

"I…" Severus clearly didn't know what to say.  Lily's heart was beating faster and faster…

"H-h-he can sit with us," she said breathlessly.  Star gaped at her best friend.

"Urgh, we might end up with greasy hair if we sit with Snivellus!" she said, wondering why Lily was being so nice to him.

"No… he can stay, if he has nowhere else to sit," said Lily, pretending to look disgusted.

"Alright, but only if he sits next to you," sighed Star.

"M-me?" Lily couldn't believe her luck, as Severus shuffled over, and sat down beside her.

"So, er, do you know who the Prefects are this year?" asked Lily, trying to start a conversation.

"Well, the Slytherin Prefects are Timothy Logan and Bellatrix Black," began Severus, ticking them off on his fingers.  "Gryffindor has Remus Lupin and, well, Lily, of course.  I'm not sure about Hufflepuff, but the Ravenclaw Prefects are Daisy Clearwater and Art Matthews," he finished.

At that moment, the door opened yet again, to reveal James, Sirius and Remus.

"All right there, Lily?" asked James loudly, dipping his hand into his pocket to retrieve the Snitch.

"Fine," she said sarcastically, while James let go off the Snitch and made a spectacular catch.  Even Lily had to admit that it took pure talent to make that kind of catch.

"Oh, look!  It's Snivellus!" beamed Sirius, and Star giggled.

"Sucking up to Lily, are you, Snivellus?" grinned James.

"Oh, give it a rest, James!  What's Severus ever done to you?" she demanded.

James, Sirius and Snape took out their wands and glared at each other.

"Stop that!  We're supposed to be in our fifth year!" Remus glared at the faces around the carriage, and James quickly pocketed his wand.

"Come on, let's go," said Remus, opening the compartment's door, and pushing his two friends out.

"So long, Snivellus!" grinned Sirius, waving.

The train came to a halt, and James, Sirius and Remus walked onto the platform at Hogsmeade station.

"Ah, look," James pointed into the distance, where hundreds of carriages trundled towards them.  James assumed that invisible horses were pulling them somehow.  At last the carriages reached the platform and together, the three friends boarded one.

"Oh _no_," said James with a grimace, as he noticed a small, round boy running towards them.

"James!  Sirius!  Remus!  Wait for me!" he cried.

"Darn, I thought he was sick or something," said James with a huge sigh.

"That blasted Peter Pettigrew.  Why does he have to idolise us?" Sirius shook his head in disgust as Peter jumped into the carriage.

"I looked for you on the train, but I couldn't find you," he said breathlessly.

"_That_ was a good thing," whispered Remus, as the carriage moved up towards Hogwarts castle.

"Oh, hurry up," said James loudly.

"So, er, I guess you all had good summers, then?" said Peter, looking around at the other three boys.

"Oh, what do you _think_, Peter?  Use your brains!" snapped Sirius.  Peter fumbled with his fingers.

"Well, er, Sirius didn't have a good summer, but, ah, what about you, James?" he said hopefully.

"It was ok," said James, staring out the window, watching tiny droplets of water fall to the ground.  Remus followed James' gaze.

"Looks like we're in for some rain," he informed Sirius and Peter, just as the carriage stopped moving.  James, Sirius and Remus leapt off and hid themselves in the crowd.

"Thank goodness Peter's gone.  Finally we can have some peace," said James.

"Well, that's all very nice but, oh, darn it - we'll all be drenched!" shouted Sirius as thunder rumbled overhead, and the rain became heavier.

"Let's make a run for the doors," suggested James, and the three boys darted towards the light.

"So this year, it is my great pleasure to tell you all that the very first ever Hogwarts Best Young Witch or Wizard of the Year competition will be held this year," finished Dumbledore.  People all through the Great Hall cheered wildly, but James, Remus and Sirius were having a whispered conversation.

"We're not old enough to enter," sighed James.

"But that slimy git, Severus is," Sirius growled.

"Huh?  I didn't know he was sixteen," said Remus, with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Not many people do know.  I actually heard it from Star who heard it from Bellatrix who heard it from…" Sirius replied.

"Ok, ok!  But I wish I could enter," James said wistfully, thinking of what Lily would say if he won the prize.

"I understand.  But we're better off not entering.  I mean, we're only in our fifth year…" Remus began.

"Ah, but how many other fifteen-year-old wizards do you know who have made the Animagus potion?" asked Sirius, with a grin.

"I know you're intelligent, but this is serious," said Remus darkly.

"Don't worry yourself, Moony.  We'd never be stupid enough to enter, right James?"

"Right," James nodded.

Star hugged Sirius tightly, and then broke apart from him.

"It's getting late," she said gently.  Sirius kissed her on the cheek.

"You're right.  I'll see you in the morning," he said, and with a small wave, he was gone, climbing the staircase that led to the boys' dormitory.  Star, however, walked slowly up to the girls' dormitory, dreaming of Sirius.  She was about to slide into bed when she heard a voice.

"Star?"

"What?  Lily, I didn't know you were awake," said Star, looking at her friend in the gloom.

"Lumos," muttered Lily, and the tip of her wand burst into light.

"Er, Star, do you think that Severus will enter the Tournament?" she asked, and all of a sudden, Star understood.

"Lily, you fancy him, don't you?" she began.  Lily gasped.

"Why would I like Snivellus?" she retorted.  Star grinned.   
"Search me.  But for some reason, you do.  I'm right, aren't I?" she said.  Slowly, Lily nodded.

Severus Snape lay in bed, reading by the light of his wand.  He was immersed in a book about the Dark Arts, his favourite subject and the subject that he was brilliant at.  But other thoughts were crossing his mind.  The Best Witch or Wizard competition…

Snape closed _Advanced Dark Arts: A Comprehensive Guide_ and looked out of the window.  He didn't care about the one hundred Galleon prize money.  He cared about finally getting the chance to practise the many spells he had taught himself.  The competition would allow him to face Dark creatures that he would normally never even see in a lifetime.  But better still; the competition might just make Lily Evans like him.

Lily…

Severus dragged his feet back to his four-post bed and lay down.  Lily would never like him.  In fact, no one really liked Severus.  His father had abused him as a child, before his parents divorced and he went to live with his mother, who detested the greasy-haired child who looked so much like his father.

No, Lily probably liked handsome Sirius Black or that horrible James Potter…  Snape thought of winning the Best Young Wizard trophy, holding it high in the air.  Thousands of people cheered for him and in the middle of the crowd was Lily.  She ran over and hugged him, looking up at him with her huge green eyes.

That would never, ever, _ever_ happen.  Severus lay awake while the other boys around him snored or rolled over in their sleep.  Slowly, a tear began to form in Severus' eye.  It plopped onto the fluffy white pillow and trickled down the side, leaving a small stain.

Slowly, Severus Snape buried his face into his pillow, and cried.


	2. The First Week

**The First Week**

"Let's see…  Care of Magical Creatures, Double Potions, Divination and Double Transfiguration," James read his timetable to Sirius, Remus and Peter, who was listening with rapt interest.  The four boys were sitting at the Gryffindor table at breakfast.  Sirius helped himself to another piece of toast.

"Well, it can't be too bad.  I know Potions is probably the worst subject ever, but the rest isn't so bad," he pointed out to his friends.

"Yes, but we've got Care of Magical Creatures with Snivelly and the Slytherins.  Ugh, and Divination in the afternoon.  All a load of rubbish in my humble opinion," Remus grinned.  James laughed heartily then lowered his voice.

"Remus, is the Animagus potion almost ready?" he whispered.  Remus nodded.

"Tonight you'll be able to drink it," he replied excitedly.

"Excellent!" said Sirius, clapping his hands together with delight.

"Hey, do any of you know when Dumbledore's putting out the casket?" asked Peter, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Er, this afternoon I think.  I just hope Snape won't enter!" said James.

"Well, we'd better get going," said Sirius, standing up.

"Right," said James, and together the three boys began walking to their Care of Magical Creatures lesson, with Peter tagging at their heels.

"Lily!  Over here," Severus blushed as he waved at Lily, while she walked out of the Great Hall, into the grounds.  Star and Lily's other best friend, Bellatrix Black, giggled while Lily stiffened.

"Go on!" Bellatrix gave her friend a push, and Lily stumbled over to Severus.  Together, they set off for Care of Magical Creatures.

"Er, hi Lily," said Severus, feeling very stupid.

"Hi.  So, um, it's a lovely day, isn't it?" said Lily, gazing up at the sky.  The rain from the previous night had cleared, to reveal a beautiful blue.  Fluffy white clouds lazily floated across the sky.

"Yes, it is," said Severus, wondering what on earth he could say to Lily.

"Ooh, look!  That cloud is shaped like a flower!" said Lily, pointing.  Severus looked up, trying to find the flower-shaped cloud.

"I think it looks more like a star," said Severus, tilting his head.  Lily tore her eyes away from the clouds and looked Severus in the eye.

"So, do you support a Quidditch team?" she asked, as they strolled over to a meadow near the Forbidden Forest.

"Yes actually.  Puddlemere United," he answered shyly.

"They're brilliant players.  The chasers are superb," agreed Lily.  "But my favourite team is the Appleby Arrows," she smiled.

"Oh, right.  They're good too," said Severus, as they reached the meadow.

"Oh, Professor Lamina's here," said Lily, walking away from Severus to stand with Star and Bellatrix.

"Right, well, er, I'll talk to you later, Lily," said Severus, with a small wave.  Remus and Sirius sniggered, but James was furious.

"Who does that git think he is?" he fumed.

In James' opinion, the day certainly didn't get much better.  In Double Potions, Professor Hunter forced him and Severus to work together.  In the end, they both gave up on making a Cheeriness Potion, and as homework, had to write an essay on the correct way to make one.  Divination, as usual, almost made James fall asleep.  He was quickly woken, however, when Professor Trelawney said in a thoroughly depressing tone, "Don't worry dear, I'm sure your death won't be _painful_."

Double Transfiguration was the best lesson of the day, but James simply couldn't concentrate on turning his cactus into a porcupine.  He was far too busy thinking of becoming an Animagus later that night...  At last, his cactus sprouted a porcupine head and tail.  Compared to most of the class, this was a highly commendable effort.  In fact, the only people who could complete the spell were Sirius and Star.

Finally, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter dumped their books in their dormitory and ran to the Great Hall.  Professor Dumbledore took out the magnificent, bejewelled casket, where students from each house would submit their names, each hoping to win the competition.  James gasped – the casket was stunning – if _only_ he could have entered the competition!

Severus looked at the casket, and then at the tiny piece of paper he was clutching in his fist.  There was Lily, smiling at him from the Gryffindor table.  Her smile gave him confidence.  It seemed to say, "Come on Severus!  Go for it!"

But Severus was beginning to have second thoughts about entering the competition.  He had only just turned sixteen… and he wouldn't know half the spells that the students from the other schools would know.  Was it really worth entering?

"Well, are you going to enter?" said a voice beside him.  Severus whizzed around.

"Oh, it's just you, Lily," he said.  He had been so busy thinking of the competition, that he hadn't noticed Lily make her way across the Hall.  Then he noticed James Potter, looking at Lily with interest.

"I've made up my mind," said Severus, determinedly.  He strode over to the casket, took a quick glance around the Hall and dropped his piece of paper into the casket.

James lay in bed, quivering with nervousness and excitement.  In just a few minutes, the clock would strike midnight…  Five to twelve, four to twelve, three to twelve, two to twelve, one to twelve…

"James?  Peter?  Are you ready?" Sirius whispered.  James crept out of his bed and saw Sirius, Remus and Peter standing in the doorway.

"Got the invisibility cloak?" Sirius asked.  James nodded and pulled it over himself, Sirius and Remus.  There was almost no room left for Peter, but he somehow managed to squeeze himself under.

With great difficulty, the group moved awkwardly down the stairs leading from their dormitory to the Gryffindor common room.  All of a sudden, James stopped.  The others quickly came to a halt.   
"What's wrong?" hissed Peter.  James pressed a finger to his lip and with the other hand, pointed to a figure stretched in front of the fire, reading by her wandlight.

"_Star!_" mouthed James, with a look of terror on his face.

"Shh!  As long as we're quiet, she won't notice us," breathed Sirius, and together they tiptoed down the stairs.  When they reached the portrait hole, Remus opened it for them and they slunk into the shadows.  Star turned to watch Remus, wondering what he had been doing so late at night.

"It's ready!  Just like Remus said it would be!" exclaimed Sirius.  James, Sirius and Peter were standing in the old boys' bathroom that no one ever used.  All the toilets were out of order and it was the perfect place to brew an illegal potion.

"Are we all ready?" asked James, filling up a glass with the strange purple liquid that bubbled and steamed in the cauldron.

"You bet we are!" Sirius cried, filling his own glass to the brim.  Peter looked utterly terrified.

"C-c-can you explain w-w-what I h-have t-to do?" he stuttered, wishing he was anywhere but in the old bathroom.  Sirius almost screamed in frustration.

"Look, Peter, it's _simple_.  How many times have we told you?  All you have to do is drink the potion in five gulps, all the time thinking of the animal you want to become.  Whatever you do – DON'T think of anything else!" he explained to Peter.  With shaking hands, Peter filled his glass.

"Ready?  OK, on the count of three," said James.

"One…" Was this really such a good idea?

"Two…"  He could back out if he wanted to…

"Three…"  _Think of becoming a stag!_

On "Three!" James raised his glass and let it touch his lips.  In five gulps, he had drained the foul potion, which tasted like sour grapes.  He felt a peculiar sensation in his body. His whole body became silver and his arms and legs grew longer and longer.  His head elongated and his unruly black hair disappeared, only to be replaced by more silver.  Finally, he felt something curious happen to the top of his head.  Of course!  Antlers were sprouting from his head, which now felt very heavy.  The antlers seemed to weigh a lot.

James shook his head and pawed the floor with his new silver hooves, before turning around rather awkwardly.  He found himself face to face with a huge black dog, with a lolling pink tongue.  The dog began capering around the bathroom with a silly grin on its face.  James couldn't help laughing – but it wasn't a laugh – it sounded like a series of snorts.  Cowering in a corner, James noticed a tiny grey rat, twitching its pink nose.  He trotted over to the rat and sniffed it.  This made Sirius bark with glee.  James screwed up his face and thought of turning back into a human…

A moment later, he fell onto the bathroom floor.  His arms, legs and head all ached and he smoothed his scruffy hair.  The next thing he knew, Sirius and Peter were beside him too.

"Well, James.  After five long years, we've finally done it.  I do believe that James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew have become… Animagi!" roared Sirius, almost dancing around the toilet block with delight.  James quietened him, but couldn't contain his excitement.

"Yes Sirius.  I don't believe it, but we've done it!" he grinned.

In the early hours of the morning, when sunlight began to creep under the bathroom door, James, Sirius and Peter bounded back to the Gryffindor common room under the Invisibility cloak.  They collapsed into the soft, comfortable armchairs around the fire, and chattered animatedly to each other about what it felt like to be an animal.  At around 7:00, Remus almost tumbled down the staircase from the boys' dormitory, bursting with questions.

"Did it work?  Did you all turn into the right animals?  Did anything go wrong…?" he began.

"Take it easy, Remus!  Everything turned out fine!" Sirius beamed.  Remus relaxed and began pestering his friends with more questions.  At 7:20, the common room became crowded with people, all heading down to breakfast.  Finally, Remus, Sirius, Star and Peter left, leaving James to get his books ready.  He was just about to leave for the Great Hall, when he noticed Lily, also ready to go.  For a moment, they stared at each other in silence, before James hastily told Lily to go through the portrait hole first.  They both went through the hole, and began walking to the Great Hall.

"I guess you're looking forward to playing Quidditch this year," said Lily, trying to make conversation.

"Of course I am.  I can't wait to start training for the first match.  It'll be great, Gryffindor versus Slytherin," James smiled at Lily.

"I'm looking forward to the first match too, not that I'd play of course," Lily said quickly.  James was about to ask why, but stopped himself.  That was her business, not his.

"So, er, what did you think of the first day back?" he asked her.

"It was okay… I've still got to write a five page essay for Arithmancy," she said, as they walked into the Hall.

"Well, er, good luck with it!" said James, walking off to sit with his friends.  Lily smiled.

"Thanks, James," she said.  Maybe James wasn't all that bad after all… thought Lily, as she sat down between Bellatrix and Star.  Maybe he was more than just a show-off…

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter finished their homework at last.  Sirius stretched his arms and yawned.

"What time is it?" he asked James.

"Almost eleven," James replied, stifling a yawn.

"Hey you three, look," said Remus quietly, nudging his friends.  Severus was leaning against a bookshelf, holding a massive red book that looked at least a hundred years old.  James craned his neck and tried to read the title.  When he read it, he gasped.  The title read _Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Animagi_.

"James?  Earth to James!" said Remus, waving his hands in front of James' face.

"You go on without me," he urged his friends.  "I'm going to follow Snivellus,"

"I bet you anything he'll transform into an Animagus.  I'm coming with you, James" said Sirius.  James smiled at his best friend and nodded.

"How about you, Remus?  You coming?" asked James.  Remus shook his head.

"I'd love to, but I'm feeling tired tonight.  Tomorrow's a full moon and I already have this irresistible urge to bite myself.  Sorry James, but I'm going to bed," he said.

"I'll go with him," squeaked Peter, grabbing Remus' cloak.  Remus pushed him off disgustedly.

"See you in a bit," said James, and he and Sirius hurried after Severus, who had left the Library and was heading down a corridor.

Severus turned around.  He was sure that he had heard something… Could someone be following him?  He shook the thought off his mind and concentrated on finding the old, abandoned Dark Arts classroom in the dark.  He hurried on through the gloom, pausing every so often, to check whether he was going in the right direction.

Finally, he opened a door and saw Lily standing in the moonlight.  She shivered in the cold, but then noticed Severus coming towards her.

"Severus… why did you make me come here now?  It's so cold…" she said, her teeth chattering.

"I-er, wanted to ask you something.  In a few weeks' time, there'll be a Hogsmeade weekend.  Do you, er, want to come with me?" he asked nervously.  Lily looked thoroughly surprised.

"Oh, um, okay," she said quickly.  As if drawn to her by a magnet, Severus walked forwards.  He and Lily watched each other for a moment, and then Severus leaned forwards.  Lily shut her eyes tightly and felt Severus coming closer…  She felt his lips touch hers and everything around her melted.  She felt so dizzy… but so warm and happy at the same time.  It was wonderful yet so strange…

James Potter and Sirius Black watched from the doorway.  James couldn't believe his eyes.  _This can't be happening, this can't be happening…_  Sirius looked at his friend.  No, it couldn't be true…


	3. Who the Casket Chose

**Who the Casket Chose**

James sat in the common room with his head resting on his hands.  It was the day after he had seen Snape kiss Lily, and he still couldn't believe what had happened.  Sirius strolled over to him and sat down.

"Look James… if Lily chooses that git over you, she's just not worth it," he said, soothingly.  James lifted his head to look at Sirius.

"But I've never liked a girl as much as I like Lily.  If _only_ she liked me as much as I like her," said James, taking his eyes off Sirius and staring into the leaping flames of the fire.  Sirius raised his eyebrow.

"Well, Lily's nice and all, but I'm sure there'll be other girls," he began.  James glared at him.   
"Trust me – there won't be," he said sadly.  Sirius hated seeing his friend so glum, so he stood up.

"Come on James.  Let's get all our rotten homework done, then we can go exploring," he said with a grin.

"I'd forgotten that tonight was the full moon," said James, and Sirius sensed the excited tone of his voice.  James smiled at his friend and together, they began their work.

Lily sat on her bed, staring at the ceiling, thoughts tumbling around her head.  Everything was so confusing.  Last night, she had actually kissed Severus and she didn't even know him!  No, wait, Severus had kissed _her_… And he had asked her to come to Hogsmeade with him!  Lily tried to remember how she had answered.  She hadn't been thinking too clearly, had she said yes?  This was just ridiculous!  She knew that Severus was just some lonely Slytherin outcast, obsessed with the Dark Arts.  So why had, she, Lily Evans agreed to go on a date with him?  Was it because she felt sorry for him?  Or… Lily sat up and strolled to the window.  She looked down at the lake and watched the Giant Squid propel itself across the water.  A couple of students were lazing around under the trees, while others tossed a Quaffle to each other.  Her thoughts wandered back to Severus.  She had said yes… Was it because she actually… Was it because she had feelings for him?

Lily, Bellatrix and Star sat down at dinner that night and watched a seventh-year Ravenclaw boy drop his name in the cup with a grin.

"Hmm, he's handsome, don't you think so, Lily?" Bellatrix asked her friend.  Lily was absent-mindedly twirling her hair around her fingers.  Bellatrix sighed.

"Since last night, Lily's been acting very strangely.  I wonder what happened," Bellatrix told Star, looking at Lily with concern.

"I agree.  It's almost as if… no, that would be ridiculous," Star began, but Bellatrix interrupted her.

"What would be ridiculous?" she asked curiously.

"Oh no, it's silly.  But what if Lily met someone last night," Star said quietly.  Bellatrix gasped.

"Do you mean a _boy?_" she asked.

"Maybe…" said Star, turning to watch as Lily gazed into thin air, a frown on her face.

"No…" said Bellatrix slowly.

James, Sirius and Peter watched through the window as Professor Dumbledore led Remus towards the Whomping Willow.

"Any minute now," whispered James, as he watched Remus disappear under the swinging branches.  Finally, Dumbledore took one last look at the tree and walked back up to the castle.  James grabbed the Invisibility cloak, and the three boys hurried downstairs to the Entrance Hall.  Sirius stopped the other two and looked around cautiously to make sure that no one was spying on them.

"Excellent, no one in sight," he said softly, and they raced across the grass, stopping only when they reached the Forbidden Forest.  Hidden from sight behind a tall oak tree, James, Sirius and Peter transformed.  Peter quickly scarpered over to the Whomping Willow, where he pressed a small knot on its trunk.  With one little pink paw, he beckoned for the others to follow.

James found it hard to walk as a stag.  Everything was so awkward.  He stood on four legs instead of two, he had hooves instead of hands and feet, and his antlers always seemed to get in the way.  He ducked under the stationary branches of the Willow until he reached the hole that had now opened in the tree's trunk.  It looked awfully small...  Sirius bounded over happily and wriggled through the hole with not the slightest difficulty.  James was envious – Sirius was almost an expert at being a dog, but being a stag was far more challenging.  At last James managed to bow his antlers and walked through the hole into a long tunnel.  Up ahead he heard Sirius bouncing along, barking occasionally, or scratching playfully on the walls.  At long last the tunnel came to an end, and James thankfully lifted his head up, taking this opportunity to look at his new surroundings.

The Shrieking Shack was old and all the pieces of furniture were covered in layers of dust.  Straight in front of him was a winding staircase, which he began to climb clumsily.  His hoofsteps were muffled by the dust that had settled on the staircase over the years.  He listened carefully, and realised that he could now hear a noise coming from a room near the top of the staircase.  His heart beating, he quickened his pace and trotted onto the stairs' landing.  With his long antlers, he pushed a door open and gasped with surprise.  Sirius the dog was curled up on the bed with Remus the werewolf by his side.  Peter was sitting as far away as possible, his whole body curled up in a tiny ball on the pillow.  James trotted forwards and attempted to lie down next to the bed.  It felt strange, but finally he was comfortable.  In fact, he was so comfortable that he lay his head down on the dusty floor, closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep…

Two weeks later, the Care of Magical Creatures class stood in a huddle outside the Forbidden Forest.  Professor Lamina cleared her throat.

"Today, class, we will be going into the Forbidden Forest on a little excursion.  I arranged this trip with Dumbledore because he wanted you to observe the natural wildlife," she announced.

The whole class began talking excitedly.

"I wonder what creatures live in the forest.  I've heard there are werewolves in there," Bellatrix said excitedly.

"Well, I'm not sure about werewolves, but I read that unicorns and centaurs live there," Star answered, peering into the forest hopefully as if a unicorn or centaur would suddenly jump out at her.

"Ooh, I'd just _love _to see a unicorn!" said Bellatrix breathlessly.  She, Star, Lily and the rest of the class began to walk into the Forest, following a narrow path with trees on either side.

"Stay together class!  I don't want anyone getting lost," Professor Lamina shouted.  They kept walking for what seemed like hours, until they were so deep in the forest that there was no sunlight at all.  Star shivered, wondering what on earth they would find in this part of the Forest.  Suddenly, someone near the front of the procession let out a blood-curdling scream.

"What on earth…?" Professor Lamina began.  At that moment, the class heard an ear-splitting _ROAAAR!_

"Hurry up, everybody!  Out, OUT!" the Professor screamed, but no one needed telling twice.  The whole class was running along the path as fast as they could, paralysed with fear.  As they ran, Star spoke breathlessly to Lily and Bellatrix.

"Did you two see what that thing was?" she gasped, looking at her two friends.

"Of course not!  We were too busy running away from it!" squeaked Bellatrix, tripping over a fallen branch.  Lily hurriedly helped her up and they kept running.

"Well, _I_ saw it and it was a chimaera.  I had no idea there were chimaeras in the Forest.  They're really rare but worst of all, they're really dangerous.  And when I say really dangerous I mean _deadly_!" said Star, her voice wavering.  Lily and Bellatrix gaped at her.

"Look, Star.  Are you positive it was a chimaera?  I mean, there are hundreds of creatures living in the forest," said Bellatrix, but she didn't sound too convinced.

"Bella, I've seen pictures of them.  And I'm telling you, what I saw back there was most definitely a chimaera."

"But what on earth was a chimaera doing in the Forbidden Forest?  Forests aren't even its natural habitat!" said Star angrily.  Sirius tried to calm her down, but it wasn't easy, as he was also very concerned.

"I know, Star.  But you have to calm down," said Sirius, in what he hoped was a soothing voice.  Star looked up at his calming grey eyes.  She trusted him and began to calm down.

"I know, I know..." Star said with a sigh.  "I'm sorry for being such an idiot.  It's just that chimaeras aren't even supposed to live in Britain.  That's what puzzles me."  Sirius gave her a quick hug.

"I'm confused as well," he said with a frown.  "I should go and investigate," he added softly, so none of the other Gryffindors in the common room would hear.  Star frowned at him.

"Don't be stupid, Sirius.  I know you're daring and courageous and all that," she began.  Sirius grinned at her.

"Star, you flatter me," he said, smiling.  Star just snorted.

"But I'm serious.  You can't just go looking for a chimaera!  You'd be mad!" she said.

"Star, don't you want to find out why there's a chimaera in the Forest?  If you're worried about my safety I'll go as a dog… Oh no…" Sirius clamped his hand over his mouth.

"What did you say?" Star looked him in the eyes.  It was no use lying – Star would figure it out anyway.

"Star, I – I'm an unregistered Animagus," he began.  Now it was Star's turn to gasp in surprise.

"But, but…" she stammered.  "You're not, are you?" she said wildly.  Sirius just nodded calmly.

"I can transform into a dog at will," he said.  Star studied his face.

"You're not lying... I can tell.  But I just can't believe it!  Becoming an Animagus is so hard that only a handful of witches and wizards ever even attempt it!  That's why the Ministry of Magic is so careful about keeping an eye on all the people who are registered Animagi," she said.  Sirius just gave a small sigh.

"Sirius, why didn't you tell me?" said Star.

"It – it was supposed to be a secret.  But you can't tell anyone," he pleaded.  Star smiled.

"Sirius, you know I'd never tell a soul.  And I'm so impressed!  I still can't believe it," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, who knows?  Maybe you can become an Animagus someday," said Sirius.

"Maybe!" Star replied, with a grin.

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter took their seats at the Gryffindor table.  Dumbledore welcomed everyone to the special Choosing Ceremony.

"Welcome, welcome.  In just a few moments, the casket that is sitting on this table will give us four names.  The names of a student from Gryffindor, one from Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw student and finally, a Slytherin.  They will be competing against each other for the Grand prize – one hundred Galleons prize money and of course, the trophy.  They will have to use wit and cunning to get past three obstacles.  Each will be held on a different day, and each will be very challenging.  That is why I am only allowing students of sixteen years or older to enter the competition.  Ah, look, the casket is beginning to glow.  The time is near!" said Dumbledore.  All eyes were on the casket, and the atmosphere was tense.

"I hope that my cousin Andromeda gets in," whispered Sirius.

"Ugh, and I hope Snape _doesn't_," James whispered back.

"Sirius, imagine if your cousin Narcissa got in," said Peter.  Sirius glared at him.

"Peter, I prefer _not_ to talk about Narcissa," he growled.  Peter looked nervously at Sirius, but at that moment, four small pieces of parchment shot out of the casket.  James leaned forward on his seat as Dumbledore held up the emerald green parchment.

"The competitor from Slytherin – Severus Snape!" he read.  James groaned and hung his head in his hands, while Sirius patted him on his back.

"It can't be that stupid git!" he moaned.

"Who cares about Snivellus?  Let's wait and see who'll be representing Gryffindor," murmured Sirius under his breath.  James lifted his head and watched as Dumbledore picked up the deep blue piece of parchment.

"From Ravenclaw – Mary-Anne Witherbow!" cried Dumbledore.  There was wild applause from the Ravenclaw table and people thumped Mary-Ann on the back good-naturedly.  Meanwhile, Dumbledore was drawing out a canary yellow piece of parchment.

"Oh, get on with it!" said Remus, wondering who Gryffindor's competitor would be.

"From Hufflepuff – Gretchen Florentine!" Dumbledore shouted.  It was Hufflepuff's turn to whoop and cheer, as Gretchen blushed furiously.

"At last!  I never thought he'd get to us," said James, rolling his eyes.

"Shh!" Remus quietened his friend as Dumbledore pulled out the fourth and last piece of parchment which was glowing scarlet.

"And the competitor from Gryffindor…" he began.  James couldn't stand the tension.

"Come on, who _is_ it?" he whispered.

"Sirius Black."


	4. Professor Trelawney's Predictions

**Professor Trelawney's Predictions**

Twenty minutes later, a very dumbfounded Sirius Black made his way up to the Gryffindor common room, reliving what had happened just minutes ago…

_"I am afraid Sirius will have to compete," said Dumbledore, a grim expression on his face.  Sirius' heart leapt.  At least it would be an adventure, and he simply couldn't wait to show Severus who was the real Hogwarts Best Young Wizard.  However, the other teachers weren't nearly as eager as Sirius was._

_"Dumbledore, this is mad!  He can't possibly face the three obstacles alone!" Professor Lamina protested._

_"I can do it, Professor!  You know I can!" Sirius argued, looking at Dumbledore with a pleading gaze.  Dumbledore sighed dramatically.  The other teachers stared at him expectantly._

_"Sirius, I must ask you something.  Did you put your name in the casket?" he said clearly._

_"Of course not!"__ Sirius exploded.  Dumbledore nodded._

_"I believe him.  He couldn't possibly have done it himself.  And I don't believe that he would ask an older student to put his name in for him.  Daring and careless as Sirius is, I believe he is telling the truth.  That is all..."_

Sirius had reached the portrait hole.

"Goblin rebellion," said Sirius grimly, wondering what James would say when he told him what had happened.  The portrait swung to the side and Sirius climbed through.  No sooner had he entered the room than James almost bowled him over.

"Sirius, how did you do it?  Why didn't you tell me?" James asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Come up to our dormitory and I'll explain everything…" answered Sirius, waving aside a host of admirers.

"So that's what happened," said James.  "But who could have put your name in the casket?"

"Someone who hates me, no doubt," replied Sirius darkly.

"Who… do you mean Snivelly?  He wouldn't have done it.  You're a far better wizard than he'll ever be.  He wouldn't want you competing against him," said James wisely.  Sirius considered the thought.

"But he's obsessed with the Dark Arts, James!  What if he wanted me to enter just so he could beat me with his Dark Arts skills?  He's far better at Defence Against the Dark Arts than any seventh year I know!" stormed Sirius.

"I don't think that's the case," came a voice.  James and Sirius breathed a sigh of relief as Remus walked into the dormitory.

"Look, class has been awfully boring lately with all this extra work for our OWLs," he said, sinking onto his own bed.  "Why not liven things up a little?  It'd do you a world of good, Sirius," he added.  Sirius looked thoughtful.

"It sounds wonderful.  But who's class could we 'liven up'?" he asked, thinking of all the strict Hogwarts teachers.

"Aha!" cried James excitedly.  "How about we let off dungbombs or Fillibusters in Divination?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with malice.

"I like it!" grinned Sirius, as Peter walked in looking terrified.

"A-are you s-sure about that?" he gasped.  James and Sirius laughed.

"Don't be such a scaredy cat, Peter!" said James, chuckling.

"Oho, Edith Trelawney, have we got a surprise for _you_," said Sirius with a slightly wicked grin.

Lily yawned as she dipped her quill into the inkpot that she, Star and Bellatrix were sharing.  It was almost midnight, but the trio were still struggling with their homework.  Lily stretched her arms as she finished the last sentence of her Potions essay.

"Finished!" she said proudly, rolling up the parchment.  Star and Bellatrix put their essays away too and Bellatrix left the Library to go to the Slytherin common room.

"Well, we'd better get going," said Star.  "We'll have to get some sleep tonight," she added drowsily.  Lily nodded.

"I'm so glad tomorrow's Friday," she yawned.  "I can't wait to go to Hogsmeade and stock up on Honeyduke's sweets."

"Ah, you're forgetting something," teased Star as the two girls walked away from the Library.

"What am I forgetting?" asked Lily, but she needn't have asked, because all of a sudden she remembered.

"Oh… I'm going to Hogsmeade with Severus, aren't I?" she said.  Star nodded at her best friend.

"D-d-do you think everything will be okay?" asked Lily nervously.  "I've never been on… on a…" her voice trailed off.

"A date?" Star suggested, a smile creeping over her face.  Unable to think of anything to say, Lily nodded dumbly.

"You'll be fine Lily.  Sirius and I have been to Hogsmeade together _dozens_ of times.  If you just act normally and be yourself, everything will be fine," Star said, giving Lily a hug.

"Thanks, Star," Lily smiled.

"Good afternoon, everybody," said Professor Edith Trelawney in a dreamy, sing-song voice, spreading her arms out wide as if she was welcoming a whole country, and not a class of young witches and wizards.  James and Sirius sniggered, while Remus rolled his eyes.  Peter, however, struggled to listen to every word that came out of Trelawney's mouth.

"At each of your tables, I have placed a small glass globe.  Inside you will notice a realistic diagram which shows…" she began, but no one ever found out what the globes showed, because at that precise moment there was a loud BOOM!

Lily, Star and some of the other girls dived under the table they were sharing.  James, Sirius and Remus ducked under their table and burst into silent laughter.

Professor Trelawney's jaw dropped open as a bright pink firework burst above her head, sending showers of sparks cascading over her desk.  She too, ducked to avoid being chased by a gold Catherine wheel, which was zooming around the room at top speed.  Lily laughed as Peter Pettigrew dashed past her table, being chased by a royal blue firecracker.  The class was in utter chaos for several minutes, until at last, there were no more fireworks.  People peered around the room from under their tables and when they were certain that there were no more fireworks, they emerged from their hiding places.

"Who-did-that?" spluttered Professor Trelawney, her normally calm blue eyes becoming wild red pools of anger.  But she didn't stop there.  All of a sudden, her eyes began to roll, and her eyelids began to droop.

A few of the girls gaped in terror.  Was Professor Trelawney having a fit?  Lily and Remus stood up together.  As prefects, it was their duty to take control of the situation.

"Someone, _find Madam Moonluck!_" barked Lupin, referring to the kindly old matron in the hospital wing.  Star leapt off her pouffe and climbed hurriedly down the ladder that led up to the Divination tower.

"In the meantime, someone get Trelawney a drink of water!" Lily commanded, and one of the boys dashed off.  Everyone else in the room was staring at Professor Trelawney.  She looked truly frightening.

"Do you think it's our fault?" whispered James to his friend.  Sirius nodded grimly.

"She was pretty old, of course, and…" but his voice came to a sudden halt.  Professor Trelawney was rising from her chair, her eyes now black all over.

_"He will return… soon…the time is coming nearer…the Dark Lord will return…he is growing stronger…he is controlling one who is older and wiser than you…"_

James, Sirius and the rest of the class gaped at their teacher, who had suddenly fainted.  The boy who had gone for water returned and forced the drink down Trelawney's throat.  When she had drained it all, he backed away as quickly as he could.

"My God… did you hear what she said?" whispered Remus.  He looked so worried that James was scared that _he_ might faint too…

Meanwhile, Lily was pacing from one end of the room to the other.

"Oh Star, come _on_!" she cried, wringing her hands.

"Look!" someone shouted, pointing to Trelawney.  Sure enough, she was slowly beginning to wake up, this time she looked wilder than ever.  Her black eyes seemed to be clouded over with fury, her long white hair billowed out behind her, and she was actually hovering a few feet in the air.  The class was too scared to move a muscle…

_"He is coming…be warned…he is coming…"_

By dinner that evening, the whole school had learnt of what had happened in the fifth year's Divination class.  Thankfully, Madam Moonluck had given Professor Trelawney a flask of some unknown silver medicine, and she was now recovering in the hospital wing.  James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were discussing what had happened.

"Do you think that she really did make predictions?" asked Peter.

"If those weren't real predictions, I'll eat my hat," said Sirius, darkly.

"They were definitely real," agreed Remus.  "But it was weird… it was as if she was possessed…" he said, a shiver running down his spine.  James lowered his voice.

"Did you hear what she said though?" he whispered.  His friends nodded.

"It was terrifying," Sirius said.  "It just can't be true though…" he said, shaking his head briskly.  James however, looked at his friends determinedly.

"No, it is true.  I'm sure of it.  We'll just have to face the facts.  We thought Voldemort had gone into hiding a few years ago.  We thought he'd gathered enough supporters and we've all been waiting for him to return.  I'm afraid to say that it looks like Lord Voldemort is going to return.  Soon."

Severus opened his eyes slowly and blinked as he remembered that today was Saturday…  He almost leapt out of bed and looked out the window.  Although winter was approaching and it was beginning to feel cold, the sun shone brightly and bathed the Hogwarts grounds in a sunny glow.  Feeling as if nothing could possibly go wrong today, Severus threw off his pyjamas and took extra care while putting on his robes.  Checking his reflection in his mirror, he combed his greasy black hair and stood up straight and as tall as he could.  All in all, he thought he looked very presentable.  Determined to make the best of the day, he walked downstairs to the Great Hall for breakfast, even though he wasn't the slightest bit hungry.  He managed to force down a slice of toast, before he gave up on eating and went into the Entrance Hall to wait for Lily.

"Hurry _up_, Sirius!" James cried in frustration, as Sirius gulped down his second glass of orange juice.

"I'm coming, hold your horses," said Sirius, grinning at James.

"Have fun, you two.  And don't get into trouble!" warned Remus, who wasn't coming to Hogsmeade, because of a cold he had developed.  James grabbed Sirius by the arm and dragged him over to the Entrance Hall.

"There's Snivellus," Sirius pointed to where Severus was standing, looking expectant.

"And there's Lily…" James watched as Lily ran to Severus.  Filch eyed their permission slips and they were free to go.  James and Sirius silently ran after them.

"Where do you want to go first?" asked Severus, glancing up the main street of Hogsmeade.  He was glad to finally be able to say something after an awkward silence.

"Oh, I don't mind.  Maybe we could go to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer?" suggested Lily.

"OK then," said Severus and they set off along the street, occasionally looking into the shop windows.  A little way behind them, James and Sirius watched from behind the door of the Owl Post Office.

"So, er, Lily, I don't know much about you.  Er, what's your favourite subject?" asked Severus.

"Charms," said Lily, with a smile.  "But I already know what your favourite subject is."

"Oh?" Severus looked down at Lily, who was a little shorter than he was.

"Well, Defence Against the Dark Arts of course," said Lily, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, yes, right," said Severus.  "How about your favourite teacher?"

As the couple walked, Severus relaxed a little.  Lily was easy to talk to, and by the time they reached the Three Broomsticks, they both knew a great deal more about each other.

"Two butterbeers please," said Severus, taking out a handful of silver sickles.  Lily dipped her hand into her pocket, but Severus stopped her.

"Don't worry.  I-I'll pay," he stammered.  Once they were seated, things became strangely quiet.  Lily's heart was beating so quickly that she barely knew what was happening.

_She was actually on a date with Severus!_  After finally getting the chance to actually speak to him, Lily realised how nice he was, but still, there was a nagging feeling in her head…  _He's nice_, thought Lily.  _But maybe he's not my type...  _Severus chose that moment to reach his hand across the table and slip it into Lily's.  At first she drew back, but then the voice in her head said, _Oh come on, Lily!  Give him a chance…_ Slowly, Lily slipped her hand into Severus'.

James, Sirius and Remus sat in their dormitory that evening, surrounded by a pile of books.

"Okay, let's try some easy spells first, then we'll progress to harder ones," Remus instructed.  He eyed the tottering pile of books, and took one that was entitled _Simple Spells and Enchantments that Every Wizard or Witch Should Know About._

"That one looks like a good place to start," he said with a cough, handing the book to James, who leafed through it.  He and Remus were trying to help Sirius practise for the unknown first obstacle in the Best Young Witch or Wizard contest, but James was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate.  Thoughts of Lily and Severus crowded his head, but he quickly shook them away.

"Okay Sirius, perform for me a simple disarming spell..."


	5. The First Obstacle

**The First Obstacle**

James gave a loud yawn at breakfast the following Monday morning.  On top of his mountain of homework, he had been helping Sirius all weekend.  Sirius strolled over and plonked himself down next to James.

"Morning Prongs," he greeted James cheerfully.

"What are you so happy about?" asked James, irritably.  He was in a particularly bad mood this morning and couldn't understand why Sirius looked so pleased.

"I thought that we could go on a little expedition tonight," he said with a wink.

"What, do you mean just the two of us?" asked James, a smile creeping over his face.

"Yeah, maybe check out the Forbidden Forest.  We could look for the chimaera," replied Sirius, pouring himself a glass of milk.

"Brilliant!  We'd better not mention it to Peter though.  He might wet his pants with excitement," said James, a huge grin plastered on his face.  He was feeling much better than he had been just a few seconds ago.

"Hey, where's Remus?" asked Sirius suddenly, looking around the Great Hall.

"He must be still in bed.  He was feeling pretty sick last night," said James.  Sirius had no time to answer, because at that moment, hundreds of owls flew into the Hall, circling above the four House tables then zooming down to their owners to deposit letters or packages.  Sirius' screech owl, Hawk dropped a letter onto the table, while James scanned the air, looking for his barn owl, Artemis.

Suddenly, a blur of brown feathers hurtled through the air towards James.  It flopped onto his lap and gave a feeble hoot, before collapsing in a heap on his lap.

"Artemis!" cried James, grabbing his owl and shaking her.  Sirius' jaw dropped open.

"What's happened to her?" he gaped. "Look, her feathers are all bent, and she's got scratches all over her!"  At that moment, a teary-eyed Bellatrix raced over to them from the Slytherin table.  She was hugging what appeared to be a dead snowy owl to her chest.  James looked from Artemis to Bellatrix and her owl to Sirius.

"Come _on_!  Let's get the two owls to Professor Lamina!" he said, his heart hammering against his chest.  The three of them ran to the staff table, where Professor Lamina was chatting animatedly to Professor Livertrot, the Potions master.

"Professor!  My owl just fainted!" cried Bellatrix, holding out her owl, which was covered in twigs and leaves.  Professor Lamina's eyes widened.

"Excuse me, but even though some people may think it's unimportant," began James, shooting a dirty look at Bellatrix.  "_My_ owl's fainted too!" he fumed.  Sirius looked on meekly, while Professor Lamina examined the two owls.  After what seemed like hours, she looked up at Bellatrix and James.

"Your owls will live.  It looks as if something's attacked them.  In the meantime, Professor Livertrot will mix them a potion to restore their health," she said firmly.  James, Sirius and Bellatrix breathed sighs of immense relief.

"Now I suggest that you three hurry off.  Lessons began three minutes ago," said Professor Lamina, so the trio dashed off to their Defence Against the Dark Arts class.

James found it hard to concentrate for the rest of the day.  A steady drizzle of rain fell outside, dampening his spirits.  It didn't help that Severus strutted over to him with a smug expression that plainly said, 'Who's showing off now?'  James wished he'd never spited Severus in the first place.  At lunch time, James went to visit Artemis.  Professor Lamina was exasperated.

"Potter, am I or am I not the Care of Magical Creatures teacher?  Your owl will be fine.  I repeat, _fine_."

When at last the day was over, he stomped up the steps into the Gryffindor common room, ready to start his homework.

"Goblin rebellion," he said to the portrait of a fat lady wearing a pink silk gown.

"That's right, dear!" she said with a giggle, swinging aside.  James climbed through and sat down at a nearby table.  Irritably, he glared at Sirius and Star, who were wrapped in each other's arms.  _They make me sick!_ he thought, furiously opening a book on Potions.  But he simply couldn't concentrate, as a crowd of noisy third-years was standing by the notice-board.  James leapt up; ready to tell them off for disturbing him, when he saw something that made all his angry feelings dissolve in an instant.  A piece of parchment had been Spellotaped over an old Gobstones club notice.  James' heart was light as he went back to his homework, and he the rain seemed to calm his feelings.  Nothing mattered at the moment, as James went over the sign in his mind.  _Quidditch training starts on Wednesday at __6:30 pm__.  Be there!_

James woke up and rubbed his eyes.  Sunlight streamed through the open window of the dormitory and he realised that today was the day of the first obstacle.  He looked past Remus, who was fast asleep, over to Sirius, who seemed calm, and was practising the Stunning spell on a bullfrog he had stolen from the Potions store cupboard.

"Morning," said James brightly.  "Are you nervous?"  Sirius shook his head.

"Stupefy!" he cried, aiming his wand at the frog, which immediately toppled over, an expression of shock plastered over its ugly face.

"I've got this in the bag.  Snivelly's the only one that has to worry," said Severus defiantly.  James grinned and wandered over to Remus' bed.

"He's been off colour all week, yet Madam Moonluck says that she doesn't know what's wrong," said James, puzzled as to what was wrong with his friend.  Sirius looked over his shoulder.

"He looks so pale and peaky.  Like he does a week before full moon…" he said thoughtfully.  James couldn't help wondering…

"Welcome one and all!" Dumbledore boomed.  Lily, Star and Bellatrix were sitting in the stands of the Quidditch pitch, which was the place where the first obstacle would take place.  Lily tightened her Gryffindor scarf around her neck.  The weather was beginning to get chilly as winter fast approached.

"I can't wait to find out what the first obstacle will actually be," said Bellatrix, excitedly, holding up a pair of omnioculars and scanning the pitch.  Dumbledore rambled on with his speech, but it seemed that only Star was listening.  Everybody else was too busy watching the four contestants prepare for their challenge.  Severus was muttering curses under his breath, Sirius was practising the summoning charm, and the two girls had their eyes closed, mouthing complicated spells.  Suddenly, Bellatrix began to tug on the sleeve of Lily's robes.

"Bella, what on earth is the matter?" Lily stared at her friend.

"Lily, _look!_" cried Bellatrix, thrusting the omnioculars into Lily's arms.  Lily held them up to her eyes and tried to find what was making Bellatrix so alarmed.  Just then, she saw it.  Tied to a stake behind the changing rooms was the chimaera.  Lily gaped at it and tapped Star on the shoulder.  Star let out a shriek.

"But they can't possibly face a chimaera alone!  They'll die!" she panicked.  Lily calmed her down.

"Dumbledore wouldn't let that happen," she said confidently.  Star nodded dumbly, still gazing down at the huge beast.  By now, many other students had spotted the chimaera and were pointing at it with interest.  The four contestants, however, couldn't see the chimaera and grew steadily more nervous.

"Mind if we sit down?" said a voice.  Lily turned around and tried hard not to groan.  Standing behind her was James, and behind him, stood Peter, trembling from head to foot and glancing down at the chimaera.  Before Lily could say a thing, Star spoke for her.

"Certainly," she said, waving her hand carelessly.  James and Peter shuffled past Star and Bellatrix and sat down next to Lily, just as Dumbledore finished his speech.

"Brilliant.  Who's going first?" asked James, rubbing his hands together.

"It'll be Sirius, then Severus," said Bellatrix, her eyes focused on the pitch.

"Okay, Sirius, on the count of three you may walk onto the pitch and grab the golden flower!" came Dumbledore's magnified voice.

"One… two… three!"

 Sirius came striding onto the pitch, only half listening to the cheers and shouts of the Gryffindors.  Standing before him was the great chimaera.  It looked enormous…  Sirius backed away, his mind numb in shock.  The chimaera pawed the ground, let out a roar, then began running straight towards Sirius.  Far above him, Star let out an ear-splitting shriek.  _I need to calm it down, then attack…_ thought Sirius wildly, as the chimaera drew suddenly closer.  _If I pretend to transfigure myself into a dog, no one will know I'm an Animagus… _he thought.  He immediately began to whisper a made-up spell to himself, all the while thinking of becoming a dog.

Star slid back into her seat.  "He's safe!" she said, her heart pounding against her chest.  Lily grinned.

"That's an advanced spell!  We haven't even learnt it in Transfiguration yet," she said.  James just laughed merrily.  Little did Lily know!

Meanwhile, Sirius was darting past the chimaera with the agility of a greyhound.  Before him was a beautiful golden flower…  He pulled it out of the ground with his sharp teeth then looked back at the confused chimaera.

In an instant, he was standing up straight and tall, his wand aimed at the chimaera's eyes.

"Conjunctivus!" he yelled, and a jet of yellow light burst from his wand tip, hitting the chimaera straight in the eye.  It gave a loud screech, before trampling around the pitch, wondering why it couldn't see a thing and becoming steadily more frightened.  Finally, exhausted, it collapsed in a heap and Sirius ran past it, back to the competitor's tent, the golden flower clutched in his hand.  James and Star had leapt up from their seats and were shouting, "He did it, he did it!" over and over again.  Lily giggled as she watched Bellatrix muttering under her breath.  Everyone knew that the Bella and Sirius despised each other, but no one knew why.  Amidst all the cheers and shouts, Star pointed to the judges' table.

"Look!  I wonder what score they'll give him…" she eagerly looked over and watched Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall (the Transfiguration teacher) and Professor Manderlay (the horrible Muggle Studies teacher who always favoured Slytherin) have a whispered conversation.  At last, Dumbledore and McGonagall held up their pieces of parchment, each sporting a large black number.  Professor Manderlay was still scribbling his number down.

"9 from Dumbledore, 8 from McGonagall, that's fantastic!" said James.

"Yeah, but look what Manderlay's given him…" said Star, disappointedly, for Professor Manderlay was holding up a roughly scribbled 4.

"All up, he's got 21 out of a possible 30.  That's not too bad!" James said happily.

"Look, it's Severus' turn now!" cried Lily.  Bellatrix looked at her friend curiously.  Lily looked paler than she had before…

Meanwhile, Severus was walking slowly out of the competitor's tent, oblivious to what he was about to face.  His wand gripped tightly in his hand, he drew in a deep breath and walked onto the pitch.  When he saw the chimaera, he stood in shock for a few seconds, before attempting to Stun it.  James roared with laughter and Peter, not wishing to be seen as uncool, laughed with him.  Lily just glared at them.

"He's trying to _Stun_ something that big?" James choked.  Lily was fuming – in fact, it was almost as if sparks were flying out of her long, red-brown hair.

"You inconsiderate jerk!" she shouted at him.  James felt like hitting himself.  _How could I have been so stupid?  I completely forgot that she was sitting right next to me…_

"I-I'm sorry, Lily…" he stammered, but Lily was staring back down on the pitch.

Meanwhile, Severus was feeling queasy.  What kind of spell would calm down a raging chimaera?  He could think of only one solution…  He had to immobilise it for a few seconds, just long enough to pluck the flower and get back to the tent.

"Immobolis carpanicus!" he shouted.  He then ran faster than he had ever run before.  He was past the stationary chimaera; he had plucked the flower…  Suddenly, the chimaera shook itself and began tearing towards Severus.  He felt numb…  _I'm going to die… If only I could have told Lily that I loved her…  _Just then, an idea hit him.  There was a rock that was only a short distance away from him…

"Transfigurari, transfigurai, transfilliobus, CAT!" he shouted desperately, aiming his wand at the rock.  In an instant, instead of a boulder, a small orange tabby cat was looking around, thoroughly bewildered.  The confused chimaera stomped after the cat, and Severus ran as fast as he could, back to the competitor's tent, only stopping to breathe when he had run inside.  Clasped in his hand was the golden flower.

The Slytherins were going utterly mad, and Lily couldn't have felt happier.  The judges were holding up their scores and James quickly tallied them up.

"7, 5 and 8, wow, he's only just behind Sirius," he concluded.  The rest of the day passed in a happy blur.  The moment Sirius walked into the common room, a large banner sporting the Gryffindor lion was thrown over his back, and people all around him thrust tall glasses of Butterbeer at him.  James happily took one and gulped it down.

"Hey, Remus isn't here… I haven't seen him in ages…" said James.

"Let's go and see if he's ok.  He might need the hospital wing," suggested Sirius.  James nodded and 

Sirius began elbowing his way through the noisy, chattering crowd.

"Get _off_ me!  I'll be back in a minute…" he said.  With great difficulty, he, James and Peter, who had joined them a few seconds ago, made their way up the staircase that led to the boys' dormitory.

"Poor Moony, I can't believe he missed Padfoot's victory," said James, shaking his head, as they reached the door.

"I know!  He would have loved seeing Snivellus try and Stun that beast," sniggered Sirius, pausing happily for a moment, then turning the handle of the door.

The minute they walked in, the three boys stood frozen in horror.  Remus was no longer in his bed, staring unhappily at the ceiling.  In fact, he wasn't even in his bed at all.

Standing in front of them, snarling so they could see his sharp yellow teeth, was Remus the werewolf.


	6. Severus and Lily?

**Lily and Severus?**

Although James hated to admit it, he had a _lot _of homework and assignments and he had hardly studied at all.  Each of the professors had their own method of preparing the fifth years for the exams that were to come in a few months.  In each Care of Magical Creatures lesson, Professor Lamina gave them a different creature to study and sketch, labelling its body parts.  In Transfiguration, they spent every lesson vanishing small mammals.  It was lucky that James was naturally intelligent, because most of the class had great difficulty getting their kittens to fully vanish, and, consequently there were many long, fluffy tails scattered all over the desks.   With their massive load of homework, the fifth years spent long afternoons cooped up in the library, poring over long History of Magic essays.  By night, they retreated to their common rooms to practise spells for Charms and Defence against the Dark Arts.

With all their homework and assignments, Sirius, James and Remus had barely talked to each other since the night Remus turned into a werewolf.  Finally, after two weeks, Professor Lamina congratulated everyone on their hard work and let them have a lesson off.  James, Sirius, Remus and Peter took the opportunity to huddle in a group and have a long talk.

"It was only half-moon when he transformed," said James sharply.  Sirius nodded darkly.

"Strange things have been happening for ages," he agreed.

"Yes.  Think about it – first, someone enters Sirius in the Hogwarts Best Young Witch or Wizard competition.  Then Professor Trelawney makes real predictions!" said Remus, gazing at his three companions.

"Don't forget – Artemis fainted a few weeks ago as well!  I'd definitely call _that_ odd!" said James.

"I just wish we knew _why_ it was all happening," said Sirius exasperatedly, staring up into the sky.  Peter looked on helplessly, Sirius' words running through his head over and over again.  "_I just wish I knew why it was all happening…"_

_"We must find him!  His intelligence is incomparable!" snarled a voice.  A cowering teenage girl bowed her head and began to stutter._

_"Y-y-yes, my Lord… I-i-it's all a matter of time.  W-we'll have him s-soon," she stammered._

_"If you say so, Narcissa.  We shall have to wait and see." said the voice.  Narcissa stumbled over her long robes and reached the door, perspiring heavily and gasping for breath._

_"M-m-my Lord, do not b-be discouraged!  I'll g-g-get him for you.  Y-you'll see!" she said as firmly as she could, sweeping back her long blonde hair from her face and reaching out for the handle._

_"Excellent. You may leave now," said the terrifying voice.  Narcissa was almost weeping as she opened the door._

_"Wait a minute, Narcissa.  The Dark Lord detests fear – remember that.  The next time we meet, you will be punished," the voice echoed around the room._

_"Of course, my Lord, of course," Narcissa gasped.  She flung the door open, tripped through and banged it shut behind her, collapsing in a heap._

_"The Dark Lord detests fear, detests fear, detests fear, detests…"_

James woke up in an instant, sweat pouring down his face.  It had seemed so real…  But it was so absurd!  It couldn't be real!  Voldemort was miles and miles away…  And James was positive that he had seen Sirius' cousin, Narcissa, but _that_ was impossible too.  Narcissa had been sent home, just a month ago…  James remembered Sirius' triumphant grin, as she left the Entrance Hall.  She had had a fever, and Madam Moonluck had suggested that she return home for a month or two of rest, because she was so weak…  James sat up in his bed and reached for a glass of water.  He found the jug and filled up a glass with water, which he dumped over his head.  It trickled down his untidy black hair, then down the back of his neck.  It was so cool and refreshing…  James climbed back into bed.  This was ridiculous; it had just been a stupid dream!  Far away, on the other side of the castle, Severus Snape awoke with a start.

Lily sat down to her Charms homework with a heavy heart.  The night before, she hadn't slept a wink, because her mind had been on one person – Severus.  He was all she ever thought about these days.  Lily shook her head wearily.  _Pull yourself together, Lily!  If he's not your type, he's not your type.  Don't go out with him just because you feel sorry for him!_  Lily rested her head on her folded arms, her eyelids beginning to droop.  If there was one thing she didn't want to do, it was telling Severus that she wanted to break up with him.  _I can't do it!_ she thought, almost crying with frustration.  Everything was so confusing!  How on earth could she tell Severus how she really felt about him without upsetting him?  Here she was, the only girl that Severus had ever loved, about to break up with him.  But something in Lily's head told her that she was doing the right thing.  What it was, she had no idea, but for some unknown reason, she trusted it.  She stood up from her Charms homework, closed the book and pulled on a thick cloak, before venturing down to the Library.  She peered around the door and saw Severus, reading a thick book by the light of a candle.  He looked up when she entered.

"Oh, it's you, Lily," he said, beginning to smile.  Lily couldn't face him.  Not now…

"Severus, oh, I _do_ love you, but, but… I can't go out with you…" she began, tears beginning to run down her pale face.  _Why am I doing this?  Why must I break up with him?  Am I crazy?  _The thoughts tumbled around her brain…  Severus was turning white…

"But, Lily… why?" he began, staring at her gravely, his eyes welling with tears.

"I'm sorry Severus!" cried Lily, before turning on her heel and running through the door, tears streaming behind her…

"Ok, so, that's supposed to be its mouth, am I right?" said Peter, eyeing the Bowtruckle he was sketching.  James rolled his eyes.

"No, that's its nose.  This bit's the mouth," he said, gesturing down at his own drawing.  Peter laughed nervously and scratched out 'mouth' to write 'nose'.  James, however, wasn't really thinking about Bowtruckles at all.  He was reliving the dream…  He wished he could just forget about it, but he simply _couldn't_.  So far, the only people who knew were Sirius and Remus, and both had urged him to tell Dumbledore.

"Don't be stupid!  It was just some dumb old dream!" James had said angrily.  At that moment, his mind was torn away from the dream as he heard a shriek.

"Professor!  Jillian's been poked in the eye by her Bowtruckle!" cried one of the Slytherin girls.  Professor Lamina hurried over to observe the damage.

"Good Lord, you're right.  There, there, dear.  I'll take her up to the hospital wing. Everyone else, continue your drawings.  I'm sure she'll be alright, once Madam Moonluck has tended to her," she said, leading a sobbing Jillian up the front steps of the Entrance Hall.

"Good, she's gone," said James, breathing a sigh of relief.  "Fancy a bit of fun?" he added, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"Oh, _yes_!" grinned Sirius, peering at Severus, who was bent so low over his drawing, that the parchment touched his nose.

"Oi, Snivelly!" cried James, his wand pointed at Severus.  "Who wants to see Snivelly dance?" he sniggered.  Remus tapped James on the shoulder.

"Don't go too far," he warned, but James pushed him off.  Suddenly, Severus leapt to his feet.

"Why should I care?" he shouted, his face turning deathly white.  James retreated a little.  Never before had he seen Severus so angry…

"There's only one thing that's stopped me killing myself this year, and that's Lily!  And now she's gone!  Tell me, James.  What's left for me now?" he shouted, tears pouring down his cheeks.  James felt his heart couldn't sink any lower.  In all his time at Hogwarts, he had never, _ever_ seen Severus cry…  Severus tore up the steps of the Entrance Hall and James watched helplessly as Lily ran after him as quickly as she could.

"Severus?" called Lily, her voice echoing around the Entrance Hall.  She spotted a blur of black robes streaking up a spiral staircase and dashed after him.

"Severus – WAIT!" cried Lily, leaning against the banister to catch her breath.  Looking up the staircase, she watched him round a corner, heading straight towards…

"No!" said Lily dumbly, a string of swear words and curses flying through her head.  Gathering all her strength, she bolted up too many staircases to count, up to the highest tower in the castle.  _What if I'm too late?  Why, oh, why did this have to happen?  What if he's already gone?  Oh no… no, please don't be dead, Severus!_

Lily cleared the last two steps in a single leap, and barged into the abandoned tower room.  Despite the painful stitch she had, she managed to cross the room in seconds, before emerging on the balcony at last.  Leaning against the balcony's rail was Severus, his lank, greasy hair blowing in the wind.  Lily was so relieved that she burst into tears of joy.

"Lily, don't cry!" said Severus, startled at Lily's reaction.  Lily shook her head.

"Oh, Severus, I'm so happy!" she said, flinging herself on top of him, and resting her head on his shoulder.  Severus was stunned.

"But, Lily…" he began uncertainly.

"I'm not going to let you kill yourself, Severus!  Please don't!  I couldn't bear it!" cried Lily, sliding down to sit next to him.  Severus gazed down at her, a glazed look in his eyes.

"Severus, don't you understand?  You can't die now!  You're only sixteen…  Think of the Hogwarts Best Young Wizard, think of passing your OWLs and your NEWTs… and, and, think of _me_," she said, drying her tears with the sleeve of her cloak.

"But I thought… I thought we broke up," said Severus, thoroughly bewildered by the situation.

"So did I, but now I know…  Severus, I don't want you to kill yourself, I want to get to know you better.  I, I…" Lily's words faded into nothing.

"Lily, I have something to say…" said Severus, fiddling with the hem of his robes.  "I, I… Lily, I love you."  Lily was rather taken aback by Severus' statement and blushed a deep shade of scarlet.

Laying her head on his chest, Lily held Severus tightly.

"Severus, I don't ever want you to think about suicide again," she said sharply.  Severus nodded.

"What's so bad about your life?  What could possibly hurt so much that you want to die?" asked Lily, looking up at Severus from her position.  Severus turned his head to face the other way.

"I don't want to talk about it, Lily.  You wouldn't understand!" he said, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Please tell me, Severus.  I want to help you," she said softly, sadly…  Severus' grey eyes met Lily's brilliant green eyes for a second, and he saw trust, faith, understanding and love…  Lily cared so deeply for him, yet he couldn't think why…

"I've never been loved before, Lily.  My dad used to hit me when I was little, and scream at my mum all the time.  God, it was awful.  I don't want to talk about it," he said, his eyes clouding over, reminiscing about his past.  Lily's eyes filled with concern.

"Don't go on, Severus.  It was very inconsiderate of me to ask such a personal question, and I'm sorry," said Lily, whose heart was beating at a million miles an hour.  Here she was, lying on Severus, discussing his past, those horrid tears struggling to come out again… _Don't cry, don't cry!  You've already cried too many times today!  What will poor Severus think?_  But a crystalline tear trickled down Lily's cheek.  Much to Lily's relief, Severus didn't notice.

"No, I should tell you now.  Otherwise, you'll never know," said Severus, holding Lily tightly.  He began again.

"I spent my childhood locked up in my dingy room, shooting flies from the roof, reading about Dark Arts.  My mum hated me, because I looked so much like my dad.  All my life, I dreamt of Hogwarts.  I dreamt of finally having friends, of fitting in, but when I arrived, everything did not go according to plan…" he paused for a moment, thinking about what to say.  Lily's thoughts drifted from Severus to Star and Bellatrix.  She wondered what they would say if they knew what she was doing right now…

"From day one, James and I became enemies.  I was jealous.  Jealous of his intelligence, his skills on the Quidditch pitch, his friends.  He had everything, but I was just a little greasy-haired kid, always with my nose in a Dark Arts book, not a friend in the world.  I didn't actually meet you until my third year.  I'd always heard James talk of you, but never seen you, but the moment I met you, I knew that you just might understand.  I saw it in your eyes…" he trailed off.

"Lily, let's not talk about this anymore," he said, and Lily understood.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, but Severus put his finger to her lips.  He leant down…  _No, Lily!  There's something about him – he'll never be your type, you don't love him and you never will!_  Instinctively, Lily drew back.

"Not now, Severus.  Care of Magical Creatures finished ages ago.  Let's get down to lunch."

"Star, how do you feel when you're with Sirius?" asked Lily shyly, that evening, while they were lying awake in their dormitory.  Star was surprised at Lily's question, but answered nonetheless.

"Well, I'm not sure…  It's kind of a difficult question.  I suppose that everything just feels… right.  It's as though nothing bad can happen when I'm with him.  But why do you want to know?" asked Star, thoughtfully glancing over at Lily, who was staring up at the ceiling.

"No reason," said Lily, instantly pretending to bury her head down into her pillow.

"Lily, please don't think I'm rude, but may I ask what happened today when Severus ran off?  He didn't really want to kill himself did he?  You don't have to tell me, I'd just like to help," she said, a little fearful as to how Lily would react.

Lily didn't feel like discussing her personal life, even with her best friend…  She pretended to fall asleep, and began snoring loudly.  Star, however, knew that Lily's snores were far too loud to be genuine, and within minutes, she had drifted off into an uneasy slumber, wondering what Lily was hiding…


	7. The Quidditch Game

**The Quidditch Game**

"May I sit here?" asked Remus, gesturing to the seat next to Bellatrix.  The professors had organized a meeting of the eight prefects, to discuss the second obstacle in the Hogwarts Best Young Witch or Wizard contest.  They had been given the task of conjuring up an idea of how to seat the whole school so they had a clear view of the Forbidden Forest.  Thankfully, none of the professors were actually present at the meeting.  Professor McGonagall had hastily explained, "We're rather busy with the OWLs, you know.  I'm sure capable students like you will manage."

"Certainly," said Bellatrix, and Remus sank down into a cushioned chair.  It seemed as though all the prefects were talking at once, but something else was on Remus' mind.  He had never known that Bellatrix was so pretty…

"What do you think, Remus?" asked Art Matthews, one of the Ravenclaw prefects.  Remus jumped in his seat, and blushed.  He didn't even know what Art was talking about…  _Concentrate Remus!  Who cares if Bellatrix is pretty?_

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said," Remus said, looking over at Art.

"You know, what do you think the second obstacle will be?" Art repeated, his eyes alight with curiosity.

"Oh, I haven't a clue…  Maybe they'll have to fight some other dangerous creature.  They've already fought a chimaera," he said.  Art nodded thoughtfully.  One of the Hufflepuff prefects, Naomi Oakton, considered Remus' words.

"Well, that _is_ an idea.  But _I_ have some very big news.  You know how in the first obstacle, they had to pick those golden flowers?  Well…" at this, Naomi lowered her voice.  "Gretchen, Hufflepuff's representative, watered hers a few days ago and a message fell out.  And do you know what the message said?" she looked around at the other prefects, her eyes glittering, clearly enjoying the attention.  Remus stifled a gasp.  How could Naomi be so foolish as to give away such an important clue?  Lily was hanging onto every word.  Beside her, Bellatrix looked at Naomi darkly.

"Naomi, we're not here to discuss the second obstacle," said Daisy Clearwater firmly.  Naomi quickly stopped talking.  "We're here to discuss seating," continued Daisy, still watching Naomi out of the corner of one eye.  She looked around at the other prefects.

"Well then.  Any ideas…?"

"Ok, Lily, Naomi, Timothy and Owen, go and explain our idea to McGonagall.  Daisy, Bellatrix and Remus can stay here and clean up the room.  Oh, and I'll stay too," said Art, when the meeting had come to a close.

"So… who do you think will win?" asked Bellatrix, as she moved her chair back to its desk.  Remus glanced around.  Daisy and Art were discussing Quidditch on the other side of the room.

"I don't know," said Remus truthfully.  "But I'm hoping it'll be Sirius."

"You would," said Bellatrix, leaning against a chair.  "But I sincerely hope it _won't_ be my _dear _cousin," she said.  Remus wondered why Bellatrix hated Sirius so much.

"Bellatrix… what's so bad about Sirius?" he asked her, stopping his work for a moment.  Bellatrix paused for a moment, thinking of what to say.

"He and I don't exactly share the same ideas… and because of that, we've fought ever since we could talk," she said coolly.  Remus nodded.

"What would those ideas be?" he asked her.  Much to Remus' surprise, Bellatrix grinned.

"Only pure-bloods should be let into Hogwarts," she said simply.  Suddenly, Remus thought of something.

"But Bellatrix, if you really believe in this pure-blood nonsense, why are you friends with Lily?  She's muggle-born," said Remus slowly.  Bellatrix sniffed.

"Remus, _that_ is private," she said, but Remus knew that for some wild reason, Bellatrix wasn't telling the entire truth.  He knew that Bellatrix, Star and Lily were all very close, yet Bellatrix had just said that she didn't want muggle-borns at Hogwarts…  They remained quiet for a minute, Remus studying the way Bellatrix's long brown ponytail fell over her shoulder, shining in the moonlight.

"You know Remus, you're not all that bad," said Bellatrix suddenly.  Remus was rather taken aback.   
"What on earth do you mean?" he asked, gaping at her.  She merely smiled absently, and together, they left the room, Remus only half aware that he was conversing about Quidditch with Sirius' least favourite cousin…

James was thoroughly excited.  Tomorrow was the very first Quidditch match of the season and he was happily anticipating it.  He couldn't _wait_ to show Slytherin who were the better flyers, and, he shivered with delight, it would be a perfect opportunity to show off to Lily!

"James, you're not concentrating," said Remus, with a sigh, putting down his quill.  He and James were studying for their OWLs in the Library.  Sirius was practising spells for the second obstacle in an abandoned classroom with Peter.

"Sorry, my mind just keeps wandering," said James sheepishly.  Remus rolled his eyes.

"I know you're intelligent and all, but you have to study if you want to pass the OWLs," he reminded his friend, who clearly wasn't listening.

"All right…" said James, picking up his quill reluctantly.  Just then, Lily, Star and Bellatrix walked into the Library.  James instinctively reached up and began messing up his hair.  Remus, however, was watching Bellatrix carefully.  The three girls walked over to James and Remus.

"Studying for the OWLs, I suppose?" asked Star, glancing down at the open book on the table.

"Yes.  You too?" asked Remus.  Lily nodded.

"I'll be glad when they're over," she said, sitting down opposite James, and taking a quill out of her bag.  Bellatrix sat down next to Remus, and whispered so that only he could hear her.

"Remus, meet me tonight at 7:00, in the Entrance Hall," she said, her mouth barely moving.

"What for?" mouthed Remus, startled at Bellatrix's request.  She just gave him a tiny wink and said, "You'll see."

As soon as dinner was over, Remus told James that he was going to the Library to study.

"Suit yourself.  I'm off to help Sirius," James replied, waving goodbye to Remus, who hurriedly dashed off to the Entrance Hall.  There was Bellatrix, casually leaning against the wall.

"Oh, good.  I wasn't sure you'd come," said Bellatrix brightly.  Not knowing how to answer her, Remus said, "Bellatrix, why are we here?  What's the point of this meeting?"

"I thought we could, er, go for a walk in the grounds or something," she said, adjusting the Slytherin badge pinned to her scarf.

"You _what_?" asked Remus, at a complete loss for words.  Bellatrix hastily cut in.   
"You don't have to, it was just an idea…" she began, but Remus quickly shook his head.

"No, it's a lovely evening, we might as well go," he said and Bellatrix brightened up a little.  They walked into the grounds and a cool breeze blew through the air.

"I can't believe how much homework we've got," said Bellatrix, shaking her head.  Remus tightened his scarf around his neck and shivered in the cool air.

"Well, in no time, the OWLs will come…" he said.  Bellatrix laughed.

"Not for a few months," she said.

"True, but the professors are preparing us.  Trust me, the OWLs will come sooner than you think," said Remus, gazing up into the night sky.

"Brrrr, I shouldn't have suggested walking tonight.  I'm beginning to freeze," said Bellatrix, apologetically.  Remus, however, was staring at the sky.  Bellatrix followed his gaze and sighed glumly.

"Rain," she said sadly, watching as tiny drops began to fall.  Remus tugged on her cloak.

"Come on, we'd better go inside…" he said, and holding their arms above their heads, they ran back inside to the Entrance Hall.  Once inside, Bellatrix stopped Remus.

"Remus, I'm not sure why, but… I really like you," she said breathlessly.  _So that was what that walk was about!  _thought a very confused Remus.

"I like you too," he said, thinking how strange the whole situation was.  Bellatrix stood up on tiptoes and gave Remus a quick kiss on the cheek, before running towards the dungeons, without looking back.  Remus stood in the Entrance Hall, bewildered by what had happened.  If this was love, then it was certainly very strange…

James yawned and stretched, before leaping out of bed and tearing to the window.  The sight that met him dampened his spirits considerably.  The rain from the previous night was still falling heavily, and the sky was a bleary grey.  With a sigh, James pulled on his robes and headed down to breakfast, where he met up with Sirius, Remus and Peter.

"Morning Prongs," said Peter, pouring himself a tall glass of orange juice.

"Morning," said James, grumpily.  Even though he was a brilliant Seeker, in fact, most students said that he was the best Seeker Hogwarts had ever had, the Snitch would be almost impossible to see in these conditions…  Gloomily, he loaded his plate with fried sausages and eggs, but he didn't eat one of them.  Remus and Sirius tried to persuade him to eat, while Peter babbled on about Slytherin's new Beaters.

"Wormtail, you are _not _helping," growled Sirius, through gritted teeth.  He turned back to James.

"Come on, mate, at least have a sausage," he said, spearing one on his own fork.

"It's not all that bad.  You're the best Seeker Hogwarts has ever had," Remus reassured his friend.

"Think of Lily," teased Sirius, letting out a bark of laughter.  James smiled.

"I'd better get down to the pitch," he said, polishing off a piece of bacon, and taking a swig of orange juice.

"That's the spirit!" said Sirius, thumping James on the back.

"We'll be cheering you on.  Good luck!" said Remus, and with that, James strode down to the pitch.

"Alright then.  On my whistle, you can leave the ground.  1, 2…" James gripped the handle of his broomstick and prepared to kick off.  He glared at the Slytherin Seeker and then… _Peeeeeep!_

Seven scarlet-clad figures shot into the air, and seven emerald green blurs streaked after them.  James did a quick warm-up lap around the pitch, before stopping to hover several feet above the game.  Frantically searching for the Snitch, he listened to the commentary…

"And Gryffindor in possession!  Susannah Johnson has the Quaffle!  She passes to Thompson, and… ouch, a Bludger hits Thompson on the head, he drops the Quaffle…  Slytherin in possession and Chandler is shooting down the pitch… he passes to Horner, Horner heads for the goal.  COME ON, JACOBS!  SAVE THE GOAL!  Drat, the Gryffindor Keeper, Daniel Jacobs just couldn't make the save, Slytherin scores…"

The rain was beginning to get heavier and a swirling fog was starting to envelop the pitch.  James could barely see his fellow players, let alone the Snitch.  Apparently, his team mates couldn't see the goalposts either.  According to the commentary, no one had scored since Slytherin's first goal.  Suddenly, an idea hit James and he frantically signalled for time out.

"TIME OUT!" he yelled to the Gryffindor captain, but Susannah couldn't hear him.  He dodged a Bludger, and flew closer to Susannah. and this time she understood.  Within seconds, the whole Gryffindor team were assembled in the dressing rooms, all soaking wet and shivering.

"This is madness!" said Bronwyn Green, one of the Beaters.  Her fellow Beater, Andrew French nodded vigorously.  James tried to cut in.

"We can't see a thing!" Daniel Jacobs blurted out angrily.  Susannah cut him off and James gladly stepped in to tell the team his plan.

"There's a spell I know that can give us reasonable vision," he said quickly and the rest of the bedraggled team looked at him eagerly.  He tapped his wand between his eyes and said loudly and clearly, "Impervius!"  When he received curious looks from the others, he shrugged and said, "It's supposed to give you better vision."

"James, I think it's a brilliant idea.  Let's all do it," said Susannah, beaming at him.  When everyone had put the Impervius spell on themselves, they strode back onto the pitch confidently.

"We'll win for sure.  My vision's perfect!" said Andrew happily.  Once he was back in the air, James began searching for the Snitch.  Gryffindor scored three goals in a row, and then Slytherin scored again.  It was at that moment that James saw the glittering Snitch, hovering near the ground.  He put on a tremendous burst of speed, and stretched his arm out in front of him as far as it would go.  He was nearing the ground… He could feel the Slytherin Seeker hot on his tail…

"Gotcha!" he shouted triumphantly, holding the Snitch high above his head.

"He caught it!  Gryffindor won!" shrieked Star, hugging Sirius, then leaping up and dancing in a circle with Lily, who, much as she disliked James, was glad that Gryffindor had won.

Weeks had passed since Gryffindor had defeated Slytherin, and they had gone on to play Hufflepuff, snatching an easy victory.  All the fifth years were thoroughly looking forward to the Christmas holidays.  Even though they would have to study for most of the time, Christmas cheer was contagious and spread all over Hogwarts.  James and Remus had decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays, to help Sirius prepare for the second obstacle.  Remus had told Sirius about the golden flower, but they had been so busy with schoolwork that they hadn't had a chance to water it yet.  Peter was the only one going home for the holidays, and they were thankful for this.  Sometimes he could be very annoying without meaning to.

On the last day of term, everyone was in a good mood.  No one payed much attention in lessons, and eventually the professors gave up trying to teach their students anything.  Consequently, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter spent all their lessons playing Wizards' Chess, Gobstones or Exploding Snap.

Finally, the day came to an end and James, Sirius and Remus spent the afternoon lazing around by the lake, watching the girls, who were lounging under a large oak tree.  The three boys didn't say much, because each of them was too busy thinking…

Remus was gazing blankly at Bellatrix, thinking how surprisingly nice she was.  Once he had gotten to know her better, he had found an optimistic, happy-go-lucky girl.  However, no matter how nice Bellatrix was, Remus still thought about how she hated muggle-borns, yet was friendly with Lily…

Sirius was staring at Star, admiring her long dark hair, which was shining in the afternoon sunlight.  He dreamt of 'accidentally' bumping into her under a sprig of mistletoe…

James was gazing longingly at Lily, thinking that perhaps he _was_ arrogant…  Maybe Lily was right to date Severus…  Maybe he, James Potter, was just a big show-off…  At this, he shook the thoughts out of his head, but he just _couldn't_ rid the thought of Severus wanting to kill himself.  But he hadn't killed himself, and it was all because of the girl sitting a little way in front of James with long red-brown hair and big green eyes…


	8. The Second Obstacle

**The Second Obstacle**

James opened his eyes groggily on Christmas morning.  Sirius was in a particularly good mood.

"Look James!  Remus!  Presents!" he shouted, tipping out the contents of his stocking.  James peered over the end of his bed and saw a small pile of presents.  Sirius had given him a book about Quidditch, and Remus' brightly wrapped package contained an enormous box of chocolate frogs.  Peter had given them all socks, which made the three boys laugh heartily.  They spent most of the morning admiring each others' presents, especially the new broomstick that James had received from his parents.

"Look at the handle and the tail…  Built for perfection…" said Sirius admirably, gazing at the broom with an expression of pure happiness on his face.  He took another chocolate frog from his own box and checked his watch.

"Excellent, time for the feast!" he said, clapping his hands together.  As they opened the common room, they were joined by Lily and Star.  James was glad to see Lily looking happy for a change.  She chattered about her presents all the way down to the Great Hall, where a long table was set up, filled to the brim with delicacies like stuffed turkey, cranberry pie and mounds of roasted vegetables.

"Hello there, boys!" said Dumbledore, cheerfully, gesturing for them to sit down.  Looking around, they could only see a handful of students at the table.  Most students had gone home for the holidays.

"Sirius, I suppose you've been practising for the next obstacle?" said Dumbledore brightly, loading his plate with turkey.  Sirius nodded, before realising that he still hadn't watered the flower yet, and the second obstacle was fast approaching…  In fact, it was in a matter of weeks…

After lunch, the boys lazed around in the common room, discussing the next Quidditch match – Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw.  In the evening, they headed into the snowy grounds for a snowball fight, and they returned to the castle soaking wet and exhausted.

Sirius tipped the watering can over the flower and water cascaded over it.  Remus and James watched intently as the flower closed up, and became a bud once again.

"It didn't work!" cried Sirius, slamming his fist down on the desk.  "Damn!"

"No… Sirius, James, _look_!" said Remus breathlessly, pointing at the flower.  The bud began to open and the golden petals glittered.  James was sure that they had not been this bright beforehand.  In fact, they were almost blinding…  At that moment, a stream of water burst out of the flower, carrying a note along with it.  Sirius seized it and the flower stopped shimmering.

"Go on, what does it say?" asked James, his eyes wide.  Sirius gazed down at the parchment, which, despite being carried along by water, wasn't the least bit soggy.  He cleared his throat and began to read…

_"Deep in the forest, dark and green_

_Is the only place we're ever seen_

_Blinding white, and always pure_

_Only catch one of us when you're sure…_

_We'll only befriend you if you're kind_

_So don't act rashly and us you'll find_

_And don't tie us up, be careful, you see_

_But bring us back somehow and happy you'll be."_

James and Remus sat in stunned silence.  In truth, the poem hadn't been much help.

"Deep in the forest… Well, obviously that's the Forbidden Forest," said Sirius pointedly, breaking the silence.  James nodded, and looked over at the tiny piece of parchment again.

"There's something you have to find, and it lives in the Forest…" he said thoughtfully.

"But what could it be?  _Blinding white and always pure,_" quoted Remus, and suddenly he realised.

"Sirius, you have to catch a unicorn!" he said quickly.  James and Sirius were startled.

"What?  But unicorns don't even trust boys!" said Sirius exasperatedly.  James nodded indignantly.

"No… the poem says that they'll befriend you if you're kind," said Remus, comprehension dawning on his face.  James and Sirius shared a glance that clearly said, "This is mad!"  James read the poem to himself yet again.

"You can't act rashly… Big surprise there… but wait…  _And don't tie us up, be careful, you see, but bring us back somehow and happy you'll be…_" James paused for a moment to consider the poem.

"You can't tie it up…" he said, the words going round and round his brain.

"But if I can't tie it up, how am I supposed to catch it?  It's impossible!" Sirius fumed.

"No, there has to be a way.  Maybe if you befriend it somehow, it'll let you lead it back?" suggested Remus, but the idea sounded silly, and he knew that it wasn't the answer.  In the end, the trio retreated to the Great Hall for dinner, each of them thinking of the strange little four-lined poem…

In no time at all, the holidays ended, and the students at Hogwarts were once again up to their eyeballs in homework.  Sirius, James and Remus still hadn't thought of a way to catch a unicorn, even though they had looked in countless books.  On the night before the second obstacle, they, along with Peter and Star, sat in the Library glumly, desperately searching for a solution.

"Oh, look!" cried Star, "It says here that you can use a bridle… but, oh…" she looked crestfallen.  "The unicorn will only come with you if the bridle is made out of pure gold," she finished sheepishly.

"This book says that even though unicorns will let girls pat them, they would never allow anyone to ride on their backs, let alone a boy," said Peter, hastily putting the book down on a pile with the ones that he had already read.  At last, James picked up a book that seemed useful.  Excitedly, he read the paragraph out to them, quietly so no one else could hear…

_"Unicorns are not domestic animals, and cannot be kept as pets.  However, you can befriend a unicorn by offering it a plate of only the finest forest berries.  Once you have found perfectly ripe strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and boysenberries picked at precisely the right time of day (that time being from __eleven o'clock__ to __midday__), the unicorn will accept the gift and begin to trust you.  From there, you must be very careful.  The slightest wrong move will scare off the unicorn.  You must remain silent and still while it eats the berries, then reach out to pat its head.  Stroke it carefully, then place a bridle of pure gold…"_ he threw the book down disgustedly.

"What we need is a bridle of pure gold.  That's plain to see," said Star, sighing heavily.  James was desperately trying to think of a way to fashion a bridle out of pure gold.  He watched the Library clock strike 8:00…

"We have to be quick.  Everyone, look for books on pure gold," he said frantically, in a last, desperate attempt to help Sirius.  Even though they knew in their hearts that there could not possibly be a way to make pure gold, they obeyed James and set to work searching.  By midnight, Madam Hertford had chased them out of the Library, and they borrowed out a pile of books to keep researching in the common room.  They sat by candlelight, wearily going through all the books.  James was so tired that he hadn't realised that he had been reading the unicorn book he had read out earlier.

_Stroke it carefully then place a bridle of pure gold or decorated silver…_ He would never find pure gold or decorated silver… _on the unicorn's head.  If you do not have access to pure gold or decorated silver…_  Honestly, how many people _did_ have access to pure gold or decorated silver?  _You will simply have to wait patiently by the unicorn and hope that it will trust you.  If you are female, pat it softly and coo in its ear.  This has proved to be…_ but James didn't read on.

"Sirius, I've found it!" he said excitedly.  "Well, not really, but it's your best hope…"

Severus woke up with a start and realised that today was the day of the second obstacle.  He was very confident about it, as he had been melting some of his golden Galleons in order to make a pure gold bridle.  In truth, it wasn't really pure gold, but it was close, and it had taken him almost a month to make… Surely the unicorn would _have_ to accept it…  After an early breakfast, he walked onto the grounds and waited by the Forbidden Forest for everyone to arrive.  The prefects had done their job wonderfully.  Dumbledore had conjured up some stands at the edge of the Forest, and placed a tricky spell over the forest so that the students would be able to see the competitors.  Clutching the golden bridle, which he had decorated with the golden flower, Severus watched the stands fill up.  Meanwhile, James was wishing Sirius good luck.

"I couldn't have done it without you and everyone else," said Sirius, shaking his head, smiling.

"Look, it was nothing.  Here, I thought you might need this," said James, handing Sirius the golden flower.  Sirius took the flower and thanked James.

"This might come in useful," he said, with a grin.  Even though Severus had a golden bridle and the other two competitors were girls, Sirius felt confident.  James waved goodbye to Sirius and went to join Remus and Peter in the stands.  Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Welcome, welcome!  The second obstacle in the Hogwarts Best Young Witch or Wizard competition is about to begin!  The competitors know what they have to do, so without further ado, they may begin the obstacle.  On your marks, get set and GO!"  The four competitors raced into the forest and Sirius checked his watch.  It was only 11:00… He had to find a place in the forest where berries grew…  He vaguely remembered passing a patch of strawberries when they had gone into the Forest for Care of Magical Creatures, so he stuck to the path, and within ten minutes, he had located the patch, and hurriedly began to pick a handful of the lush red berries.  The minutes went by, and at last, as the hands on his watch both moved onto the twelve, he had a basketful of brightly coloured berries.  Now all he had to do was find a unicorn…

"Do you think he'll find it?" asked Star, anxiously scanning the forest.  James held up a pair of omnioculars and looked through them.

"Of course he will.  There's one a couple of metres in front of him, through those trees.  As long as he doesn't change direction, he'll be right in front of it," he said matter-of-factly.

"Look at Severus…" murmured Remus, pointing to a tree deep in the forest.  Severus was leaning against it, fingering the golden bridle.  A few feet in front of him stood a pure white unicorn, regarding him with curiosity.

"Oh, please, no…" moaned Star.

Sirius nervously held out the basket of berries.  The unicorn watched him carefully for a few moments, before slowly walking towards him.  Sirius placed the ripe fruit down on the grass, and stepped back, watching as the majestic creature lowered its head to eat.  Sirius sat down nearby and waited for the unicorn to finish its meal.  At last it devoured the very last blueberry and lifted its head, its spiralled horn glittering gold.  Suddenly, Sirius remembered something…

_Here, I thought you might need this…_  Instinctively, Sirius dipped his hand into the pocket of his robes and lightly fingered the golden flower.  He pulled it out and sat admiring the way it glittered, even with such little sunlight.  It seemed to radiate confidence and it gave him fresh hope.  Even if the unicorn _was_ taking its time, he still had a chance.  He could still beat Severus…  It was then that he looked up and was startled to find himself looking into the deep blue eyes of the unicorn.  Slowly, Sirius reached out his hand and stroked the creature's muzzle.  It seemed to enjoy this and whinnied softly.  Sirius stood up and spoke to the unicorn.

"Come on… Just come with me for a while…"  The unicorn eyed him, clearly wondering whether it should trust such a strange beast, but after what seemed like hours, it allowed Sirius to lead it out of the Forest.

"I can't believe you won it, mate!" said James happily, as they walked up to the Gryffindor tower, followed by a crowd of giggling fifth-year girls.

"Yeah, congratulations," said Star, flinging herself on Sirius, who laughed.

"No need to be emotional," he said with a grin.  "Remember when Snivelly came out of the Forest ten minutes after me, leading the unicorn on its bridle?  The look on his face was _priceless_," he continued.  _Obviously, Lily didn't think so_, James thought angrily.  _She ran off to comfort him!  She's supposed to support her own house!_  The three of them entered the Gryffindor common room.

"Hi Wormtail!" Sirius greeted Peter, who was uncorking a Butterbeer bottle.  "Where's Moony?"  Peter looked around nervously, checking to see that no one was watching.

"Well, I saw him get dragged off straight after the obstacle by some girl," said Peter nervously.  James' jaw dropped open and Sirius just gaped.  Star, however, clapped her hands together in delight.

"Who was it, Peter?" she asked breathlessly.  Peter fiddled with his Gryffindor scarf, playing with the gold tassels on the end.

"Erm, well, I only saw the back of her," he admitted.  Sirius grabbed the front of Peter's robes.

"Was she in Gryffindor?" he asked, shaking Peter, dead curious to find out who Remus' mystery girl was.

"No, she was in Slytherin," said Peter, struggling to remember the details.  Sirius let go of Peter and his arms fell to his side limply.  James almost choked, but Star just rounded on Peter.

"Peter, was it _Bellatrix_?" she asked, her eyes growing wide.  Peter frowned with concentration.

"Surely he has more sense that to go out with my idiot cousin!" exclaimed Sirius, while Star just rolled her eyes.  It was hard when your best friend and your boyfriend were cousins, especially cousins who loathed each other.  Peter looked at his friends exasperatedly.

"Look, I don't know!  It could have been anyone!" he said, but James, Sirius and Star weren't listening to him anymore, because at that moment, Remus climbed through the portrait hole.


	9. Lord Voldemort

**Lord Voldemort**

"Are you sure she just wanted to know when the next prefect meeting is?" asked James suspiciously.

"Honest!" replied Remus exasperatedly, although this wasn't the least bit true.  Sirius shrugged.

"Okay then, because if I found out you were going out with my cousin…" at this, he gagged and fell to the floor in a very impressive faint.  He held his hands to his forehead, and then seized James' hand.

"Mother, is that you?  Please… save… me…" he whispered convincingly.  By this time, he and James were in stitches, but Remus rolled his eyes.

"What am I going to do with you?" he asked, shaking his head.  Sirius sat up instantly.

"Well, old Moony, you can help me train for the last obstacle!" he said delightedly.  James grinned.

"So do you know what it'll be?" he asked.  Sirius nodded.

"Yeah, the judges told us that it'll be some kind of obstacle course with different magical creatures," he told his friends.  Peter gulped.

"What kind of creatures?" he asked, staring around the room as though one of these creatures would suddenly jump out at him.  Sirius thought for a moment.

"Hmm, I think there's a Sphinx…" he began.  James and Remus grinned.

"That'll be easy, you'll just have to solve a riddle," said James happily.  "Go on."

"Hmm, then there's a Boggart or something… and a Hinkypunk… a couple of Red Caps, Grindylows… It'll be easy, I'll win it for sure!" said Sirius, stretching his arms, and then spreading himself out over the soft carpet in the common room near the fire.

"Yeah, but we'll still help you study for it," said Remus.  James was deep in thought.

"We could probably help you practise on that Boggart in the old broom cupboard…"

At last, the day of the third obstacle arrived.  Sirius stretched and checked his watch, before shaking James to rouse him.  They breakfasted in the Great Hall with Remus and Star, as well as a large crowd of admirers, all wanting Sirius' autograph, which he happily scribbled on old bits of parchment.  After breakfast, the group walked to the Quidditch pitch, where the third obstacle had been set up.

James, Remus and Peter hung over the fence, near the sidelines so they could have a clear view of Sirius.  They were joined by Lily and Bellatrix.  At that moment, Dumbledore cleared his throat, and a hush fell over the chattering crowd.

"Welcome, welcome!  Here we all are, about to enjoy the third obstacle in the Hogwarts Best Young Witch or Wizard Competition.  I hope you will all support your house's champion by cheering them on with pride.  As you all know, at the end of this obstacle, we will tally up the scores and find out who the Best Young Witch or Wizard will be!  Now then, without any further ado, please welcome the house contestants!" his voice echoed around the pitch.

"GO SIRIUS!" screamed James and Remus at the top of their lungs.  Sirius merely winked, and several girls nearby swooned.

"Competitors, on your marks, get set and… GO!" boomed Dumbledore.  They were off!

"Boggart first, that'll be a cinch…" said Star, watching as Sirius effortlessly fought off the Boggart.  While the other three cried, "Riddikulus!" at the top of their voices, Sirius was wading across a boggy marsh, not paying the slightest bit of attention to the misleading Hinkypunk.

"He's in the lead by far!" shouted James, watching as Severus scrambled through the marsh, his skinny legs covered in thick mud.  Sirius, meanwhile, was standing in front of the sphinx.  Severus stumbled beside him to hear its' riddle.

"Oh no, they're tying…" moaned Peter, covering his eyes.  "I can't look!"

"Don't be daft, Peter!" said Bellatrix, as Sirius correctly answered the riddle.  The sphinx was now giving Severus a second riddle…  After what seemed like an age, Sirius was wading through a tiny lake, with several Grindylows attacking his legs.  Severus was right behind him…  Star bit her lips.

"Oh no!  Come _on_, Sirius!" she cried, but there was no need.  Sirius was running towards the finish line, with Severus trying to catch up.

"Hurry up, Severus!  You can do it!" screamed Bellatrix.  Lily closed her eyes, before feeling someone tugging at her sleeve.

"It's a tie!" came Bellatrix's excited voice.  Lily's eyes fluttered open.

"Wha-?" she began, but Bellatrix was pulling her onto the pitch to congratulate Severus.  James, Remus and Peter leapt over the fence and onto the pitch, where they slapped Sirius on the back.  Star was a little more graceful.  She slid over the fence and ran to Sirius.

"Sirius, they've added up all the points.  You've _won_!" she said breathlessly.  Sirius whooped and punched his fist in the air.  At that moment, a tall blonde seventh year interrupted their celebrations.

"Sirius…" she sneered.  Sirius looked at her, startled.

"Why, Narcissa, I thought you were at home…" he began, eyeing his cousin darkly.  Narcissa laughed and James found himself shivering for no apparent reason.

"I'm just here to congratulate you," she said, smiling broadly.  Sirius narrowed his eyes.

"No you're not…" he began, but Narcissa had already thrust a small object into his hands.  Before he could even see what it was, Narcissa cried, "Portus!"

James felt a strange, curious sensation, as though a hook was pulling him from somewhere behind his navel…  Suddenly, he hit the ground, landing on all fours.  He looked up, dazed, and saw Sirius, rubbing his elbow nearby.  Lily, Star and Bellatrix hadn't moved an inch, but Remus and Peter were getting to their feet rather shakily.  And much to James' displeasure, Severus was dusting off his robes in the corner.

"Master, I have brought him…" said Narcissa, dropping to her knees.  James looked around wildly to see who she was talking to, but there was no one in sight.  They were in a huge, beautifully furnished room and James could see the doorway opposite.  Near the doorway was the small object that Narcissa had given Sirius.  Something clicked in James' brain.  _The locket was a Portkey!_

"Excellent, but who are the others?" replied a voice.  James stared at Narcissa.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked her, but Narcissa ignored him.  James was angry.  "Show yourself!" he cried.  By now, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Severus had joined James, and the girls were beginning to come to their senses.

"If that is what you want," came the voice again.  There was a blinding flash of green light, and James shielded his eyes.  The light died away, and James almost screamed in shock.  Standing in front of him, sneering, was none other than Lord Voldemort.

"Why are all these children here?  I asked only for one…" said Voldemort, staring around the room.

"Master, they were transported here because they were touching Sirius at the time I gave him the Portkey…" stammered Narcissa, still not looking her master in the face.

"Foolish girl.  I have no need for you.  I thought you would be the perfect apprentice.  Clever, charming and beautiful…  But you have failed abysmally, Narcissa.  You are no longer a servant of Lord Voldemort," he said coldly, staring down at Narcissa.  He pointed his wand at her, and she cowered.

"P-p-please, master, _please_…" Narcissa was sobbing uncontrollably and the sight of her sickened James.

"AVADA KEDAV-…"

"EXPELLIARMUS!" screamed James, and Voldemort's wand flew straight out of his hand.  James snatched it out of midair.  No one, not even Narcissa, deserved to die like this.  James felt anger bubbling inside him, uncontrollable anger; he wanted to kill Voldemort…

"Accio wand!" shouted Voldemort, but without his wand, the spell was useless and James gripped the wand tightly, his teeth clenched.

"Give it back!" Voldemort screamed, but James' hands stayed firmly on the wand.

"Tell us what we're doing here," he said, fingering the wand, trying to play for time…  Voldemort considered wrestling James for a moment, before disregarding the thought.  James was armed – and he was strong.  There was nothing he, Voldemort, the most powerful wizard in the world, could do.

"Fine," he snapped, lowering himself into a comfortable looking armchair.  He then began to speak…

"It all started several months ago.  I was having a discussion with my good friend, the faithful Death Eater Slythmus Black.  He mentioned that he had a daughter called Narcissa, and I became interested…  You see, for many years I had been thinking of taking on an apprentice, someone who I could teach Dark Arts, someone young, but not too young.  Narcissa was perfect.  She came from a pure-blood family, where both parents were loyal Death Eaters.  She was in seventh year at Hogwarts and was very intelligent.  I decided to talk to her, so we arranged to meet over the school holidays.  However, I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't understand what it was… School term began, and Narcissa told me that this year was the Hogwarts Best Young Witch or Wizard competition.  By then, I had figured out what had been troubling me – Narcissa was a coward, and I do _not_ approve of cowards…" at this, he paused to draw breath.

James was numb with shock.  Nothing was making much sense…

"When she told me of the competition, a brilliant plan struck me.  I would watch the three obstacles, and determine which competitor was the best.  The winner would then be transported here by means of a Portkey.  Now, Narcissa had also mentioned a certain cousin she had, by the name of Sirius Black.  She told me that he was very intelligent.  In fact, his Defence Against the Dark Arts marks were truly astounding.  I knew from that minute that Sirius Black would be my apprentice.  I would have disposed of Narcissa there and then, but she played a key role in my plan, so I couldn't kill her… then."

James clenched his fists, only half aware of the group of people surrounding him.  All he could see was Voldemort, his mouth twisted into a wicked grin.

"Instead of killing her, I put the Imperius curse on her and forced her to put Sirius' name in the casket.  I bewitched it, so that it would _have_ to be chosen.  From then on, I watched Sirius' progress.  Unfortunately, I was aware that he was getting a great deal of help from his friends," he jerked his head to Remus' direction, then Peter's.

"But I didn't want him getting _any_ help.  I wanted to see him perform independently.  Narcissa poisoned the werewolf's orange juice at breakfast one morning, and that night he turned into a werewolf.  I hoped to see Sirius fight him alone, but for some reason, none of you were injured.  Why you didn't even get a bite, I will never know…"

_You'll never, ever, ever know why,_ thought James.  Voldemort continued.

"It was also I who made Sirius' owl faint," he said smugly.  Bellatrix had gotten to her feet by now.

"But you didn't make his owl faint!  James' and mine were the ones who fainted!" she cried angrily.

"YOU HURT ARTEMIS!" screamed James, unable to contain his rage.  Here was this man, sitting so calmly…  He wanted to kill people, and he had deliberately hurt two innocent owls…  Voldemort looked concerned.

"I never intended to hurt your owl, boy.  I must have confused yours with Sirius'," he murmured.

"But why did you hurt _my_ owl?" Bellatrix burst out angrily.  "What's she ever done to you?"

 "When Sirius' owl fainted, I assumed that he would use his relatives' owls, because not many people know the location of his house.  Naturally, I had to make sure that _their_ owls couldn't reach him either," said Voldemort.  James was shaking.

"Now, I will take my apprentice," said Voldemort, smirking.

"He'll never go to your side!" screamed James, vaguely aware that Severus was standing right beside him.

"You may be surprised to find out that I can be very… how shall I put it?  Ah, yes, I can be very _persuasive_," he said.  At that precise moment, Voldemort's wand slipped out of James' shaking palms.  It was like a slow-motion film, the wand fell through the air for an age, before finally landing softly on the carpet.  James bent down to pick it up, but it was too late.  In that split second, Voldemort had apparated to James' feet, picked up the wand, and was now twirling it in his fingers. 

"Everybody, RUN!" screamed James, and he heard the others run to the Portkey.  It suddenly seemed very far away…

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" shouted Voldemort, but James managed to dodge the spell.  Instead of concentrating on the killing curse, Voldemort was now sending jets of light in all directions.  Lily was hit by one, and with a soft gasp of surprise, she fainted onto the carpet.

"LILY!"  Meanwhile, Star had reached the Portkey.  Behind her, Bellatrix was screaming, writhing on the ground with pain, twitching violently.  Clearly, Voldemort had put the Cruciatus curse on her.

"CRUCIO!" yelled James, aiming his wand at Voldemort.  Voldemort twitched in pain, but straightened up almost immediately.

"Ha!  You'll never be able to use an Unforgivable Curse properly, boy!" Voldemort laughed.

"YES I WILL!  CRUCIO!" roared James, as the others ran to the Portkey.  This time, he didn't wait to see what happened to Voldemort.  Bellatrix was straightening up, and James grabbed her.  Severus was carrying the limp form of Lily over his broad shoulders.  He and James reached the Portkey at the same time as Peter and Remus.  Each member of the group reached out and touched the locket, and there was the peculiar sensation again…

They landed softly on the grass of the Quidditch pitch.  James felt almost delirious.  His head was aching like it had never ached before.  His heart was beating faster than ever…

"_Lily!"_ he cried softly, dimly aware of the strange coloured shapes that were swimming above him.  His mind was racing… Was Lily safe?  Someone above him screamed in terror, and there was a flurry of activity.  Suddenly, his body was enveloped with a pain so strong that his heart almost burst.  His head was aching so badly that he just wanted to end this excruciating pain.  And he knew, in the few seconds before he lost consciousness that Lord Voldemort had truly returned.


	10. A Valentine's Day to Remember

**A Valentine's Day to Remember**

James opened his eyes groggily and looked at his surroundings.  He was lying in a bed in the hospital wing, and Madam Moonluck was busy filling up a tall goblet with a bright green potion.

"Oh good, you're awake," she said briskly, thrusting the goblet at him.  "I can't _believe_ what happened yesterday…" she said, shaking her head.  James sat up in bed, drank the potion, and checked to see if the others were awake yet.  Lily was stirring.  Suddenly, her eyes flew open, and she sat bolt upright in bed, shivering.

"James…" she said, her voice faltering.  "Did it all really happen?  Do you think he'll come back?"

"He's back for sure," said James sadly, resting his head on a pile of pillows.  Lily shook her head in disbelief while James stared at the ceiling.  Suddenly she spoke.

"Er, James, thanks for…" she began, smiling weakly.  "Thanks for… well, saving my life," she finished.

"You'd be better off thanking Snivelly.  He carried you to the Portkey," said James simply.  Lily merely smiled serenely.

"Yes, but… you fought You-Know-Who single-handedly.  If it weren't for you, most of us would have been dead," she admitted.

"Honestly?" asked James, raising his eyebrows.  Did Lily _really_ think he was that great?

"Honest," she smiled, and James almost melted.  _Lily actually likes me!  Even if it's just a little bit, she still likes me!_  Feeling considerably more light-hearted than he had been just minutes ago, he decided to finally ask Lily a question that had been rolling around his head for months.

"Lily, why didn't you join the Gryffindor Quidditch team?" he asked.  Lily rolled on to her side, and laughed.  She fingered the beautiful golden bracelet on her wrist that she had been given a long time ago.

"Well, if you want to know the truth, the reason I didn't play Quidditch was because I didn't want to be in a team full of show-offs," she admitted truthfully, and together, she and James began to laugh.

A week had passed since James and the others had finally been allowed out of the hospital wing.  Sirius hummed under his breath as they sat down to a huge stack of books, prepared to spend the afternoon studying History of Magic.  None of them looked forward to the prospect of reading about bloody goblin rebellions, yet Sirius was smiling absently, tapping his quill on the desk.

"How can you be so _happy_?" asked Peter.  James was lost in thought.  How _could_ Sirius be happy at a time like this?  Voldemort could come back _any day now!_  In fact, he was probably gathering followers this very minute…  Then there were the OWLs, homework, Lily…

"I'm happy because, in case you hadn't noticed, tomorrow is a very special day," said Sirius smugly.  James, Remus and Peter looked at each other curiously.

"Er – it's not your birthday, is it?" asked Peter tentatively.  James sniggered.

"No, you ignoramus!  Guess again!" said Sirius, who was clearly enjoying his friends' confusion.

"Oh, I don't know… Hey wait; it's the fourteenth of February… That's…" said Remus.

"Valentine's Day!" cried James, finishing his friends' sentence.  Sirius grinned.

"Absolutely.  And it just so happens that tomorrow is a Hogsmeade trip!" he said, thoroughly excited.  In the few seconds of silence that followed, each of the boys was lost in their own thoughts.

_Ah, a whole day with Star_, thought Sirius happily, imagining walking down the main street together, hand in hand, without a care in the world.  _Nothing_, Sirius thought, _not even exams can interfere with tomorrow!_

Remus, however, was panicking.  _What should he do?_ If he asked Bellatrix to come to Hogsmeade with him, then he would have to avoid Sirius and Star all day… and that wouldn't be easy!  But if he _didn't_ ask Bellatrix, then she would be offended!  _This is definitely a problem!_ he thought, hanging his head slightly.

James was thinking of Severus and Lily, who were still going out.  They would probably spend the whole day together… _Why does Lily like that slimy git instead of me?  Why, why, why?_  In James' opinion, life could sometimes be very unfair.

Valentine's Day dawned bright and sunny, and everyone seemed to be in a cheerful mood.  James brightened a little when Lily handed him a small valentine.  However, his happiness was soon deflated when Sirius pointed out that she was giving valentines to _all_ her friends.  Sirius and James reached the Entrance Hall.  Star was waiting for Sirius by the door, and they set off together.  Now James was all alone.  Peter was spending the day with a girl named Rosa, Sirius had Star and Remus had… Remus didn't have anyone!  But he was absolutely nowhere to be found…  Before James had a chance to look for Remus, however, Lily came careering down the Entrance Hall stairs.  She quickly fixed some pink ribbons in her hair, before spotting James, and walking over to him breathlessly.

"Why the hurry?" he asked, while Lily panted.

"I thought everyone had gone to Hogsmeade already," she said, "But I can see I'm not the only one who's late."  She grinned at James and straightened up, no longer out of breath.

"I thought you'd be going to Hogsmeade with Severus," James pointed out as they walked.

"Well, I was going with him, but he caught a cold yesterday and right now he's sick in bed.  Poor thing," she said sadly.  "After breakfast I went to say hello to him and give him his Valentine.  Then I checked the time and realised that if I didn't hurry I wouldn't be able to go to Hogsmeade."

James wondered why Lily was walking along with him happily.

"So, what are you going to be doing in Hogsmeade?" asked James, as they neared the small village.

"Hmm, I don't really mind.  It's sad to be spending Valentine's Day alone.  I wish that Severus didn't have a cold…" said Lily, gazing into thin air.  "Oh James, I'm sorry…  Look, instead of being miserable all day, why don't we have some tea at Madam Puddifoot's?"

"Won't Severus be upset?" asked James, hardly able to believe his own stupidity.  If Lily wanted to spend the day with him, why ask questions?  He needn't have worried though, because Lily just shook her head and said, "It's not as if it's a date or anything."

"How about we go for a snack at Madam Puddifoot's?" asked Bellatrix.

"Madam who?" asked Remus, wondering what Madam Puddifoot's actually was.  So far, he had had a wonderful morning.  After finally summoning up the courage to ask Bellatrix to Hogsmeade, they had set off together, and had managed to avoid Sirius and Star.

"Oh, it's just this little tea shop.  You can get cakes and stuff there too.  If you don't want to go, I don't mind," said Bellatrix as they passed Zonko's joke shop.

"Oh, no.  Of course we can go.  I've never been there before," said Remus.  Bellatrix grinned at him and grabbed his arm.

"Brilliant.  I'll take you there!" she said, and almost bounced down the street.  One thing about Bellatrix was that she had almost boundless energy.  Remus didn't know how she did it…

They entered Madam Puddifoot's, however the second they went in, Remus wished he was back on the street, maybe going for a Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks.  It seemed as though everything in the shop was a soft rose-pink.  A quick glance at the menu told Remus that the shop served every kind of cake imaginable, from ordinary flavours like carrot and mud cake, to wild and wonderful concoctions such as strawberry-peanut cream cake, triple vanilla carrot cake and a host of strangely named tarts, which Remus made a mental note to stay away from.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" said Bellatrix happily, but Remus couldn't care less whether the shop was lovely or not, because sitting in a corner at a bright pink table, were James and Lily.  And worst of all, they had just spotted who had come in.

The four of them stared at each other for a moment, before Lily finally asked Remus and Bellatrix to join them.  Both hastily sat down and James sat in shock, watching Remus' face turn red.  Much to Remus' surprise, James burst out laughing.

"Well, well, well.  Here we were thinking that Remus would never go on a date in his lifetime!" he cried, grinning.  Lily giggled.

"Oh, stop teasing me, James.  You'd better not tell Sirius," said Remus threateningly.

"Me, tell Sirius?  I wouldn't do that to you, Moony old pal.  But _Bellatrix_?" said James, grinning at his friend and elbowing him in the ribs.  Bellatrix gave him a scathing glare, before turning to Lily.

"It's all very well with Remus and me, but I thought you were going out with Severus…" she said, gaping at her friend.  Lily just smiled.

"Oh, this isn't a date, Bella.  Severus is sick and James and I are just spending the day together for something to do," she said.  Bellatrix eyed Lily and James, before; satisfied that nothing would happen between them, sitting down with Remus.

At last the day ended, and soon, everyone had left Hogsmeade except for two people.  James and Lily eyed each other shyly.

"Thanks for today.  I had a good time," said Lily, wondering why she was saying this to James.  A year ago, she had hated that arrogant show-off, but now… she wondered why she felt so… at ease.  With Severus, things sometimes felt… was there a word for it?  Yes… uneasy.  Yet, here she was standing next to James Potter and everything felt right.  Even though so much was happening in the world at the time, _everything felt right.  _Not able to believe herself, Lily laid her head on James' shoulder.  At that moment, she didn't care about cheating on Severus; she just wanted James to know…

 "James, you're not an arrogant show-off, really…" she said, and then, before James knew what was happening, she was hugging him close.  The sun was sinking in the sky, and James held Lily's hand as they walked through the almost deserted street.

"Lily, you don't know how happy it makes me to hear that," said James, and, stroking Lily's long red-brown hair, he held her close.  Lily's heart was beating.

"Severus, me… what… think?  I…" she mumbled softly, but James silenced her, and as the sky began to turn pink and orange, nothing mattered anymore.  James looked into Lily's deep green eyes and, her heart beating at a thousand miles an hour, Lily looked into James' hazel ones.  Time stood still as Lily Evans and James Potter finally shared their very first kiss.

~The End~


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